The Beauty in the Beast
by suseagull04
Summary: Regina had given up all hope when two events destroyed her life forever. But can a bookworm show her that she can still have a happy ending?
1. Chapter 1

**The Beauty in the Beast**

**Chapter 1**

Robin stood outside of his favorite bookstore, nervously fingering the wallet in his pocket. He knew he shouldn't be going into the book shop; he'd already bought three new books this week that he just had to read but had yet to pick up. But the books called to him, onyx ink and cream-colored pages speaking of worlds unknown to him that he just had to explore for himself- and take his son Roland along for the adventure, if the book was age-appropriate for a four-year-old.

The two often went into Sherwood Forest to read, blanket, snacks, and drinks in tow, but Robin never ventured very far into the forest with his son, due to the bears and other predators that lurked in the forest's depths. He often wondered what other secrets the woods were hiding, all the while doubting he would ever find out. He often dreamed of adventure, but the only adventure in Nottingham rested in the pages of his precious books.

Shaking himself out of his reverie- an occurrence that happened far more frequently than he'd care to admit- and breathing deeply, he started to walk away, then turned back and wrenched the door open, the bell over the doorframe letting the owner know that a new customer- or rather, a very familiar one, as Robin frequented this bookshop on an almost daily basis- had entered.

Inside, the store was quiet, a reader's only distraction from the books that filled every shelf the soft music that was being played by a pianist in the far corner of the shop. Robin began browsing the shelves, reading the back cover and inside flap of this book and that, before he spotted the proprietor, a petite woman in her thirties named Belle French who had an Australian accent, long, curly brown hair, and blue eyes, sitting on one of the shop's many comfortable pieces of furniture reading.

He smiled to himself. Like him, Belle was a self-professed bookaholic who could never put down a good book, whether it was a psychological thriller or children's book meant for someone a quarter of her age. This meant that no matter what book she was reading, she was always oblivious to everything around her. She likely hadn't heard Robin enter her shop, and he decided to take advantage of that and have a little fun.

He approached her from behind, taking advantage of her stupor to sneak up behind her. When he had gotten close enough, he put his hands on both of her shoulders, leaned in, close to her ear, and said, "Boo."

"Robin!" Belle yelled, turning around so fast that Robin didn't have time to back away, so the tips of her hair brushed Robin's nostrils. "Why would you do something like that?! You of all people know what it's like to get lost in a good book, and this one's really good, I haven't been able to put it down since I started reading it after I opened the shop this morning."

"You know I know what that's like, which is why I'm here," Robin reminded her. "I want a new book. Do you have any recommendations for me?"

"You were just here yesterday when my new shipment came in, so I haven't gotten anything new since then, and I only just finished putting those books on the shelves late last night," Belle reminded him with a laugh. The fingers of one hand cupped her chin as she pondered. "Wait, I do have something that was at the bottom of a box in that last order I think might spark your interest… Follow me."

She stood, walking to the back of the store as Robin followed. They ended up in the section Belle reserved for myths and legends, a part of the store that Robin sometimes visited, but not frequently enough for him to think that Belle would lead him here when he asked for a new book. "What did you get that I would like that can be found here?" he asked her.

She scanned the shelves, then finally found the book she wanted, handing it over for him to inspect.

His eyes were immediately captivated by the picture of the woman on the front cover. She had long ebony hair that was swept up into an elaborate updo. Her dress was a vibrant sapphire, in a style that drew his attention to her slender waist and full, exquisite red lips. The title read _The Beast in the Beauty_, and he saw that the slim book was written by Isaac Heller.

"What is this?" he breathed, intrigued. He opened the front cover and read the description on the left-hand side:

_Legend has it that the towering trees of Sherwood Forest conceal a dark secret. For deep in the forest, it is said that a hidden castle stands, keeping its dark secrets hidden from the world. _

_ A monster is said to live in the castle, feasting on the hearts of all who dare to enter its walls. The monster prowls about the forest at night, visiting towns to rip out villagers' hearts, devouring them until there is nothing left._

_ But can this beautiful woman really be a monster? What is her true story? Read the pages of this book to judge for yourself if this is the tale of a beauty or a beast._

"Interesting…" Robin said, closing the book, but not relinquishing it back to Belle.

Belle nodded in agreement. "It's a local legend, you haven't heard of it?"

"Some bits and pieces of the tale, yes," Robin admitted. 'But you know the people of this town, and you know me. They gossip about anything and everything, while I like to keep to myself and not judge a book by its cover, literally or otherwise. Give me a day with Roland or-" he got choked up for a second as he remembered the love of his life, "even better, a chance to see my Marian again, over time listening to those gossipmongers spin tall tales any day. So every time I've started to hear the story, I've tuned it out."

"And you've only been living here since a year before Roland was born, so you weren't here when these events supposedly happened a decade ago," Belle pointed out. "Neither was I, I came here just after they occurred. But maybe the pages of this book contain more truth than those rumors."

"Perhaps," Robin mused, looking again at the beautiful woman on the cover. She seemed so sad to Robin, like something had happened to turn her into the "beast" that Heller described. Whatever it took, he was going to uncover the truth.

He glanced at the darkening sky through the window. "Oh, look what time it is, I've got to run. How much do I owe you?"

Belle peered up at him, cocking her head to the side. "You know what, this one's on me," she said. "You're really into this, aren't you?"

"I am," Robin confirmed, his eyes transfixed once more on the stunningly beautiful face of the woman on the cover of the book. "I want to know the truth of her story, to know who this woman really is. Because somehow, I suspect that there's so much more to her than meets the eye, or even than the legend suggests."

"Then take it," Belle told him gently, placing her hand on top of the fingers that were still clutching the book like a lifeline. "And find out the truth, so we can put an end to those scoundrels' lies."

Robin thanked her, then walked out of the shop, his eyes never leaving the image of the woman on the cover of the book Belle had just given him. He glanced back just long enough to see Belle watching him, an enigmatic smile on her lips.

He was so consumed by his own thoughts that he ran into someone walking on the street. The book that had monopolized his attention ever since he had caught sight of the cover fell into the puddle at his feet, splattering mud on his jacket and the emerald skirt of the woman he had collided with.

Robin groaned inwardly. He was sure he knew who that skirt belonged to.

Sure enough, he looked up to see bright red curls and met the icy blue eyes, so much colder than Belle's, of Zelena Greene. They had been in the same year in the village school, and when Robin had moved away, then returned to the village to start a family, Zelena had set her sights on him, attentions that Robin had never asked for. Zelena had always been conceited, vain to the point of embarrassment, and he had never wanted anything to do with her, as children or adults.

"Robbie!" she said excitedly. "Fancy seeing you here!"

He groaned, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "Zelena, how many times do I have to tell you that I hate, and I truly do mean _hate_, being called 'Robbie'?"

"Oh, I think a few more should do the trick," Zelena purred as she attempted to loop her arm through his.

"Zelena, what will it take for you to leave me alone?" an exasperated Robin asked desperately, backing away from her.

"Oh, nothing too complicated, just have dinner with me," Zelena told him dismissively. "Just don't bring any of those ridiculous books you're always reading- your attention should be focused on me, and only me. And then that dinner will turn into two, three, then we'll get engaged and married, have beautiful daughters who look just like me…"

"Zelena, I'm going to stop you right there," Robin interrupted her. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want to have dinner with you, let alone marry you?"

"But Robbie, any man would _love _to be in your shoes," Zelena protested. "Picture it: you and me cuddled up by a fire, you giving me a pedicure after you've served me dinner, me lounging after a hard day of being- well, the gorgeous creature standing here before you-"

"ENOUGH!" Robin shouted, finally unable to stand being in Zelena's presence any longer. "None of those things will ever happen. You might find those things someday," he glanced down at the woman on the cover of _The Beast in the Beauty_. "But I can promise you that it will never, I repeat: _never_, happen with me!"

He sidestepped her, picked up _The Beast in the Beauty _and continued to walk home.

"You really should go see Doctor Hopper!" Zelena shouted after him, running to try to catch up to his long strides. "It's unhealthy, the number of books you read and the amount of time you spend reading them. You need a healthy dose of reality, and reality starts with a life with me!"

Robin groaned, quickening his pace until her voice faded into the distance. As he walked, he looked down at the book's cover, the picture of the woman now blurred by mud from when he had run into Zelena. He couldn't stand to see mud smearing that beautiful dress, clouding those piercing brown eyes that held so much mystery and sadness that he wanted to soothe.

When he arrived at his family's cottage, his four-year-old son Roland ran out to meet him. "Papa, Papa, come see what I made today!" He grabbed Robin's hand, dragging him to their backyard, which led right into the beginnings of Sherwood Forest.

Near the forest's edge- too close for Robin's comfort, considering this meant that his young son had been this close to the forest on his own- lay a little house. Sticks, twigs and leaves had been constructed to form a little hut no bigger than a caterpillar. Roland proudly showed his father the windows and doors he had inserted so that whatever creature lived in the house had a place to live that he declared was "just as good as our house, Papa!"

"Indeed, it is," Robin praised the child, kneeling to take in the details of the hut more carefully. It never ceased to amaze him how much creativity and imagination his son had, or how kindhearted he was. While only one of those things could be somewhat attributed to him, he had inherited both creativity and kindness from his mother, who had had both in spades. She had been the one to decorate their little cottage, using what resources they had to place a blanket here, a painting there, to turn their house into a home. By the time she was done, it felt more like a home than Robin had thought would be possible after only a day's work.

His heart ached. Now what had been a fun moment shared with his son was soured, darkened by memories of his late wife. Roland shared her dark hair, eyes, and complexion, and had only his dimples as physical proof that he was his father's son.

"Papa, I'm hungry," Roland complained, tugging on his father's sleeve.

"All right, let's go get the hungry builder something to eat!" Robin replied, picking his son up and setting him on his shoulders before walking back inside. "I bet Mummum has cooked something delicious for us for dinner."

His mother, Ryleigh Locksley, met them at the entrance to their cottage. While she shared Robin's blue eyes, she had auburn hair that was finally interwoven with strands of grey, her age something that wasn't easily noticeable via a cursory glance.

"I see the busy beaver has found his father," she said with a fond smile.

"Indeed," Robin answered. "What delectable dish have you prepared for us this evening?"

"Why don't you come in and find out?" she replied. Roland and Robin followed her inside the cottage.

After a dinner of soup and helping his son bathe, Roland asked for Robin to tell him a bedtime story. He pointed to _The Beast in the Beauty_. "Papa, read that one to me! Please? She's pretty!"

Robin chuckled. Apparently his son had the same taste in women as he did, even at four years old. "I don't know, Roland, that might be a story for when you're older," Robin told his son hesitantly. "How about you let me read it first, then if I think it's not too scary, we can read it together?"

"Yes, Papa," Roland readily agreed.

Once his son was tucked in, Robin sat by the fire and stared for a moment at the cover of the book Belle had given him earlier that day. He was eager to learn this mysterious woman's story, to decide for himself whether those mesmerizing features belonged to the beast everyone thought she was, or if she was more beautiful inside and out than any of the villagers of Nottingham ever gave her credit for.

With those thoughts, he opened the book and began to read.

Not many miles away in the depths of Sherwood Forest, Regina paced the halls of her castle, the wind howling and blowing around her through the gaping holes in the ceiling. The burns she had acquired a decade previously still haunted her, by their presence if no longer by the physical pain. They were a constant reminder of her grief and the events that had led her to roaming the halls of a dilapidated castle, as was the portrait that hung in front of her.

She reached out, her claws scraping the portrait, but leaving its focus intact. As much as she despised this reminder of her pain, she couldn't bear to bring any harm to two of the five people it portrayed, even if it was only their images and she had brought so much grief to others' lives, including the remaining three people in the painting.

Roaring with a mixture of frustration, grief, and anger, she turned and walked briskly away, leaving the portrait that was a constant reminder of what had been and what might have been behind her where it belonged.

prompt 40: Confessions of a Shopaholic AU: but Regina/or Robin is a hoarder of books instead of clothes, & prompt 146: Regina's past haunts her


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Ryleigh told Robin that she was going to go to the neighboring town to find Roland a birthday present.

"And I'll be going through Sherwood Forest, it's the fastest way," she said as she put a spare dress into her carpetbag and pulled on her navy coat, wrapping a red scarf around her neck.

"Are you sure that's the best decision? There are all manner of creatures in those woods, you know," Robin reminded her, not mentioning the story he had read the night before. He didn't think he believed the tale Heller had spun around the queen featured in his book, so it wasn't something he thought worth mentioning to his mother. But it was proven without contestation that the forest contained large predatory animals, and he wanted to make sure his mother understood the risk she was taking.

"Robin, I'll be fine," Ryleigh reassured Robin, giving him a hug goodbye.

"Mummum? Where are you going?" Roland asked, his stuffed bear still clutched in his arms as he joined the adults.

Ryleigh knelt beside the small boy. "I'm just taking a little trip to the next town," she told him, pulling him in for a warm hug. "Don't worry, Mummum will be right back to play with you again in three days."

"That's so long!" Roland pouted. "Why are you going to be gone so long, Mummum?"

"I have some things I need to do, and I want to make sure I have enough time to do them and not travel when it's dark," his mother answered her grandson.

Roland nodded sagely. "That's a smart idea. It gets scary at night."

Robin pulled his son off his mother and placed his feet firmly on the wood floor beneath them. "It is indeed. So we need to let Mummum leave, yeah?"

"Okay," his son pouted, crossing his tiny arms and looking down at the floor.

With that, Ryleigh left and Robin and Roland continued with their busy day, Robin thinking of as many activities as he could to entertain his son so he didn't miss his mummum too much. These activities included a stop by their favorite bookstore, where he thanked Belle profusely for introducing him to the story of the mysterious queen. For as skeptical as he was about some of the "facts" Isaac Heller presented, he knew he wouldn't rest until he had met the queen on the cover of the book and learned the truth of the tale she had to tell.

Belle simply gave him a small, secretive smile when Robin told her of his thoughts on finding the queen and exposing the villagers' rumors for what they were. "I think you'll find more than you ever imagined," she told him.

Surprised, Robin raised his eyebrows. "Belle, do you know more than you're telling me?"

"No, of course not," Belle denied quickly- too quickly, Robin thought. He wondered what else the bookseller knew, and why she had kept it from him as he walked out of her shop. Glancing back, he saw her watching him, a gleam in her eyes he couldn't comprehend.

Regina lay on the floor of her room, the cold stone only affecting the parts of her that were covered in skin and burns, the fur on the rest of her body helping the portions covered in burn scars stay warm. Pushing herself up, she heard a commotion echoing up from the basement. _Strange, dinner's long over, _she thought.

She made her way down to the kitchens, but before she reached the basement, she heard voices coming from the dining room.

"Don't worry madam, we'll have you nice and warm before the fire in no time," she heard Baelfire say in a soothing voice she normally only heard him use with Emma and, at one time, their son Henry.

Her heart ached at the thought of Henry, and it was that gaping hole in her chest that fueled her anger as she propelled herself into the dining room.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" she demanded in a roar so loud it shook the plates in their cabinet. Baelfire, Killian, Emma, and several other servants were standing around the table, surrounding an older woman with graying auburn hair and blue eyes that showed her terror at Regina's appearance who was wearing a long pink dress that looked comfortable. _She must have been traveling, but why would she stop here, in MY castle?_ Regina wondered. The castle and its inhabitants had faded into obscurity in the decade since the events that had turned Regina into the monster she was, so she doubted that the woman had come intentionally seeking her.

Emma, who had lived as a teapot for the decade since the second night that altered Regina's own appearance, hesitantly approached her on her silver tray, steam starting to emit from her spout. "Just a moment, Your Majesty, this woman was attacked by a bear and couldn't find anywhere else to stay. Surely, we should-"

"No," Regina said, her voice quiet but deadly. Emma fell silent. "This woman has broken into my home, she does _not _deserve a hot dinner and a nice warm bed! If you insist that she stays, she is to be housed in the dungeons. Do I make myself clear?"

Nodding as much as her kettle form would allow, Emma sighed, her disappointment in Regina evident. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"P-please," the woman begged as her chair was pulled back for her and she stood to follow Baelfire and Killian. A bag that was on her lap fell to the ground, its contents spilling out to cover the floor. "You c-can't lock me up, I have a g-grandson, Roland, his birthday is in four days, and if I'm not back in two days with a p-present for him, my s-son will w-worry-"

Regina's eyes narrowed as they zeroed in on the items that had spilled from the woman's bag, specifically one item. It was little Henry's ball, one that he had loved to drive his mother and Regina crazy with, bouncing it around the halls as Emma and the rest of the servants tried to clean. The color had not diminished with age, the bright red still making the toy immediately recognizable.

Breathing heavily, trying to rein in her anger, Regina turned to Baelfire and Killian. "I haven't changed my mind. Take her to the dungeon. Someone who decided to steal from me doesn't deserve to have somewhere nice to sleep. You're lucky I'm not throwing you out so you can fend for yourself against the bears, you should be grateful."

"I- I am," the woman stammered. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

With a curtsy that due to either lack of practice or her age was clumsy, she followed Baelfire and Killian out of the room as Regina collapsed on a stool by the fire. What did the woman's arrival mean? Would she still be left alone, ignored by the nearest village, or were her days of solitude and stealing happy endings from far-off villages a thing of the distant past?

She retrieved her mirror, the one gift the fairy had given her to see the world outside the palace walls, and asked it to show her the thief's family.

The glass clouded, then cleared to show a tall man with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes who was playing with a little boy who had a darker complexion and dark curly hair.

Regina was transfixed by the scene before her. The man clearly loved his son and would do anything for his family. She wondered if his love would bring him to her castle, and what that would mean for the lives of all who resided there.

She had a sinking feeling that she was about to find out.

On the day that Ryleigh Locksley was due to return home, Robin was working in the garden when he heard a horse whinny from behind him. Turning around, he saw Phillippe, the horse that his mother had taken to the nearest town, come galloping towards him.

"Hey, easy, boy," Robin soothed the horse, reaching out to touch his black main and stroking his chestnut flanks. "What's wrong?" Then, when he realized the answer to his own question, his face grew deathly pale. "Where's Mum?"

He tied Phillippe to the fence post, then ran into the house, kneeling once he found Roland and taking him by the shoulders.

"Roland, I need you to pack a bag to stay with Granny. Can you do that for me, please?"

"Yes, Papa," his son answered, a puzzled expression on his face. "But why?"

Robin bit his lip, wondering what to tell his son. He didn't want to frighten him, but lying to him was out of the question. "Something's happened to Mummum, and I need to go help her, all right?"

"Yes, Papa," Roland replied.

Robin let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Now run along and pack that bag so I can go help Mummum."

Roland scurried off to his room as Robin frantically collected what he thought he would need. Food, water, a change of clothes, tools for starting a fire, and yes, more books than were perhaps wise, were packed in a saddlebag that he kept on a hook by the door, along with his cloak, which he draped over his shoulders as he walked toward his son's room.

"Roland, are you ready?" he called.

"Yes, Papa!" Roland said eagerly as he bounded toward Robin, dragging a stuffed sack that was as big as he was behind him.

"Son, I don't think you'll need all of that to go stay with Granny, do you?" Robin said gingerly. He suspected that instead of clothes, the bag was filled with toys and books- while he was almost the spitting image of his mother, Roland was his father's son, through and through, and could never go anywhere without at least three books in tow. Thankfully, his were at least significantly lighter than Robin's, so they wouldn't burden Phillippe more than was necessary. The toys, however…

"Yes I do, Papa!" Roland exclaimed excitedly. "Ruby wanted to play with some of them, and I wanted to show her and Granny all my new books so Granny can read them to me!"

His father groaned. He really was his papa's son. Although he was only four, Roland could already read more than most children his age, and he took advantage of that skill at every available opportunity. "Roland, I think Ruby only needs to see a few of your books, and I'm sure Granny would love to read your books to you another time; she won't forget, and neither will you. Pick three to bring her, and the rest will stay safe and sound here, all right?"

"Yes, Papa," Roland sadly responded.

Once he had reproportioned his son's belongings so that more toys and books stayed at home and more clothes were brought for his stay, the Locksley men were ready to set out.

When Robin dropped his son off at Granny's diner, after hugging and kissing his son goodbye, Robin watched as Roland ran up to the proprietor and her granddaughter Ruby. The older woman had tried to convince Robin that he should court her granddaughter, but Robin always declined. While he trusted Ruby to care for his son, which was no small accomplishment, the girl had a promiscuous personality once the diner had been closed for the night, a trait that he was not looking for in the woman who would be his life companion and Roland's mother.

"Where are you off to?" Granny asked him amidst the happy babbling of the four-year-old. "It's not often we get to watch Roland, especially on such short notice."

"My mother went to the next town to find a birthday present for Roland three days ago, and our horse returned without her," Robin explained quietly, so his son wouldn't overhear the worry laced through his voice. "I have to find her and bring her safely home."

"Naturally," Granny answered fondly, placing a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Go. Roland will be safe and sound here with us until you return, no matter how long it takes."

Robin bowed his head, thanked Granny, and walked out of the diner that doubled as an inn, his cloak sweeping the ground as he departed, leaving his son and everything he knew behind for adventure in the great wide somewhere. He only hoped that that adventure would one day lead him home.

Robin had decided to begin his journey by hiking through Sherwood Forest, deciding to preserve Phillippe's strength for when he needed it most.

As they hiked, Robin noticed that they were traveling ever deeper into Sherwood Forest. He had brought _The Beast in the Beauty _with him, and as he hiked with Phillippe by his side, he contemplated Isaac Heller's theories.

Heller believed that the woman on the cover who was the subject of his book was a queen who was also a monster- there was no love in her heart for anyone by herself. Recalling one passage of the book, Robin found it hard to believe that it spoke the truth about the queen and her daily life:

_Queen Regina's atrocities increased after the death of her _

_husband the king, so much so that she was called the Evil _

_Queen. Taxes increased, and citizens of the surrounding _

_villages claim to have seen her prowling through their _

_streets long after children were tucked in their beds, _

_kidnapping villagers by ripping out their hearts and using _

_them to follow her willingly back to her castle, never to be _

_seen again. Whether these townspeople become her _

_servants or are killed in cold blood when the queen eats _

_their hearts, we will never know._

Although he had grown up loving fantasy and all tales that spoke of heroes and villains, as an adult Robin was skeptical. As much as he had hated to admit it, events in his life, especially Marian's death, had forced him to finally accept the fact that magic and fairy tales weren't real. While he loved Roland, and was thankful for him every day because he wouldn't have been able to push past his grief without knowing he had a son who was dependent on him to take care of him, Robin still found himself missing the life he and Marian had had before her untimely demise when Roland was born. Since her death, Robin had found it difficult to believe in happy endings, and had relied solely on Roland and Ryleigh, and his friendship with Belle, to find some semblance of happiness in his life again. Gradually, he had started to believe in happy endings again, but his childlike belief in true love and fairy tales was destroyed beyond repair.

But even if he did still believe in fairy tales, Heller's tale was difficult to fathom. How could any human even contemplate ripping out someone's heart, let alone have the gall to do it? And what really happened once the queen had someone's heart? He had a hard time comprehending the image of the queen eating their hearts as Heller hypothesized. That cannibalistic act seemed too impossible for anyone to perform in real life.

As night fell, Robin looked up to see a wrought-iron fence surrounding a castle five stories tall. The west wing of the castle was in ruins, the ceiling ripped away by an unknown force. Four towers, one at each cardinal point, reached to the sky, and Robin knew that they must have once been beautiful, but it looked like time and nature had eroded the structure so that only this shell of the palace's former glory remained.

Robin decided he would inspect the castle further in the light of day. He retreated into the shadows of the forest, set up camp, and fell asleep.

The first two days after Regina took the thief prisoner passed without incident. On the third day, Regina's spies, servants of the castle who had been turned into ravens, reported that a man had come into the castle's vicinity, and was making several circuits of the castle, as if looking for something, and he continued to do so for days afterward. The man must have come very close to the outer walls of the castle, for none of the castle's inhabitants could go beyond a yard of the castle or risk being incinerated, vanishing into black dust. So the man must have been just outside the castle walls without her knowledge, a realization that infuriated Regina. All she wanted was to be left alone, with only her misery for company. She didn't want or need any interference, especially from a man.

_Oh, but you do, remember? _a small voice in the back of her mind reminded her. _Without a man, you'll never break the curse that fairy placed on you._

Regina roared, the sound echoing in the empty chamber. She despised that fairy every day that she roamed these halls as a beast. There was no part of her that was grateful for anything the fairy had done to her.

That small voice interrupted her thoughts again. _The fairy gave you a clue- remember? She said that your one chance at the possibility of love resided with a man who has a lion tattoo on his right forearm._

Regina paid no attention to her surroundings as she paced past Emma and the others, trying not to remember that fateful night a decade ago. Her? Love again? Even if she believed in the existence of the man with the lion tattoo, the memories of Daniel were still too fresh in her mind for her to even consider that anyone could take his place in her heart, be someone she could trust and rely on to be by her side no matter what happened. She doubted anyone would ever be there for her again, not after everything she had done.

But what should she do about the stalker currently making loops around her castle? Suddenly, a theory occurred to her, one that was so obvious that she was amazed she hadn't thought of it before. With that, a flawless plan came to mind, one that would involve a little assistance.

With that in mind, she swept down to the dungeons to set her plan in motion.

Robin had traversed the castle's circumference countless times since his arrival three days before, gathering what little information he could from his scouting. The castle appeared to be deserted, save for the ravens that occasionally darted in and out of the castle's highest windows. Despite the destruction that had befallen the castle, the building was a fortress unlike any of the castles Robin had seen in books.

On what must have been his hundredth trip around the castle's perimeter, Robin spotted something bright red under the gate. Walking closer to inspect the object, he recognized it immediately. It was the scarf his mother had worn on the morning she had left. How he had missed it, Robin would never know, but he knew what his next step needed to be.

He walked around the castle to a wall of vines that covered the lowest section of the castle's outer wall. He used the vines and the wall to slowly make his way to the top, swinging his legs over the ledge and repeating the process on the vines that thankfully coated the other side as well.

Once his feet landed on the hard stone that covered the courtyard, Robin hurried to the opposite side, too focused on his mission to pay attention to his surroundings. Before him stood a large oak front door with silver handles that opened outward.

He tried the doors, and found to his surprise that they were open. He slowly entered, using a torch that he found on a sconce in the entrance hall to light his way.

"Mum? Where are you?" Robin called, his voice echoing through the lofty, deserted halls.

Suddenly, he heard a noise not far from where he was standing. He walked down the corridor, then up a short flight of steps.

When he opened the door at the top of the staircase, he saw a small circular room with a fireplace and a sofa that appeared to be comfortable. Approaching them, he heard a faint whimpering and when he caught sight of a familiar sky-blue cloak, he hurried over.

When he rounded the side of the chair, his eyes fell on the person sitting on the couch. This person was definitely too tall to be his mother.

"Sorry, I thought you were someone else-" he started, but whatever he had originally wanted to say next died in his throat as he took in the scene in front of him.

His mother, bound, gagged, and clad in the blue and white gingham dress she had worn when she left their cozy cottage almost a week before, her hair matted and unkempt, was indeed standing in front of him, but she had been hidden by her cloak- which was being worn by someone that Robin still couldn't see, as his or her back was turned. When Robin caught sight of them, the mysterious person ripped his mother's heart from her chest.

"No!" Robin yelled, running forward to stand in front of his mother, holding his arms out to better shield her.

Only then could he see the features of the person that had previously eluded him, and when he did, he gasped, his heart breaking at the sight.

He could now see that a woman stood in front of him. His mother's cloak and the woman's dress concealed most of her body, but what he could see of her skin was covered in scars from burns that were so bad that they looked like they had taken years to heal. The parts of her that were visible to him that weren't covered in scars- all of her face except one cheek, parts of her arms, her hands, portions of her neck- were covered in fur, her fingers claws that were sharper than any fingernails he had ever seen.

The visage made his heart break for her. Of all the scenarios he had ever imagined to happen to a person, he had never imagined _this_. The combination of what she had endured due to circumstances both ordinary and what might have been magical was somehow more grotesque than anything that had ever happened in the books he had loved as a child.

Some of his pity faded and horror consumed him when he caught sight of his mother's heart clutched in her hand. At the sound of Ryleigh's pleading whimpers and moans, Robin begged the woman before him, "Please. Whatever you're about to do, please reconsider."

As her mouth opened to address him, his attention was drawn to the fangs that had replaced her teeth. She crossed her fur-lined arms. "And tell me, why should I? Why should I spare a common thief from the fate that befalls all who dare enter this castle?"

"What did she steal?" Robin queried.

The mutated woman before him shook her head. "That doesn't matter. What does matter is that she will not be stealing from my castle again after I'm through with her."

"Let her speak for herself," Robin challenged. "Surely, the accused always deserve to testify in his or her defense."

"So demanding," she tutted. "Do you have any idea who you're speaking to, peasant?"

"No," Robin replied quietly.

"Well, you should not be addressing a queen in such a manner," she revealed. "Particularly one who literally holds your mother's life in her hand."

"You are correct, Your Majesty," Robin acknowledged, rapidly bowing low before her. "My apologies, I was not aware that I was addressing someone of such noble birth."

"'Some_one_?" she scoffed, more skepticism emphasizing the last syllable than he had imagined a single person capable of. Her head lowered as she muttered, "I think that's a bit of an overstatement, don't you?"

"No milady, not in the slightest," Robin told her honestly. "Each person, no matter what has befallen them or what scars they have, on their skin or otherwise," his voice grew softer as her eyes hardened even more than they already were as she looked down to examine herself, "is, in fact, human, and therefore deserves a chance at happiness." His voice broke as he observed tears filling his mother's eyes as they filled his own. He had already had his shot at a happy ending, and he doubted a second chance was in the cards for him. It wasn't likely he'd find that kind of love twice in one lifetime.

"Show some respect. It's 'Your Majesty,'" she reminded him. "You've spent an incredibly long amount of time wasting my time on hopeless fantasies instead of defending your mother," the queen snapped. "So, tell me- why should I spare her?"

"Please," Ryleigh interjected. "I was only trying to have a present to bring back for my grandson! He's about to be four, and a more precious little boy, you'll never meet-"

"ENOUGH!" the queen bellowed. "_Someone_ is going to pay the price."

Robin sighed. He knew what he had to do. "She did this for my son," he reminded the queen. "Please, let her return to care for him, and take me in their stead. It was, after all, something done for my son, and as his father, I'd like to atone for this misdeed."

He observed the royal as she contemplated his offer. "Are you sure? What I'm going to do to you- it's a life sentence, you'll never return to them. Never see your son or mother, or anyone else you love, again."

Robin swallowed hard. He certainly wouldn't miss most of the townspeople, only Belle. But his mother and son were his entire world since Marian died, and he didn't know how he would survive without all three of them. He told her this, deciding transparency was the best policy.

"Well, then," she replied. "What's your decision? Don't dawdle, I don't have all day."

Ryleigh closed the distance between them. "Sweetie, don't do this," she implored. "Roland needs you so much more than he needs me. Who will teach him how to be an honorable man now?"

Robin embraced her, then turned to the queen, resolute. He nodded, a single sentence sealing the fate of his family forever. "Take me instead."

"So be it."

"NO!" his mother cried, embracing him as the cuffs disappeared from her wrists and reappeared on his own. "Robin, don't do this, please!"

"Relax," the nonchalant queen purred. "He'll be fine. He'll just forget you, your grandson, and your life together ever existed."

Robin's jaw dropped. He had expected imprisonment, even dismemberment- but losing his memories of the three people he loved more than anything else in the world seemed a fate worse than death.

He reached out for his mother, but with a blast, she was thrown across the room and through the doors, away from the queen, and away from him.

"Take him to the dungeon," the queen ordered.

He saw a candelabrum and clock waddling toward him. "Your- Your Majesty," the candelabrum stammered. "Surely, he deserves somewhere more comfortable?"

"No. Do as I say, while I decide what to do with him," the queen demanded.

"You're- you're not erasing my memories?" Robin asked, astonished at this display of generosity.

"Not today. Now take him, before I change my mind," she demanded.

As he was escorted out of her presence, Robin pondered the puzzle that was the queen. He didn't know what the future had in store for him, but he knew that if it involved this woman, it was bound to be interesting.

**A/N This chapter contains prompts 3, 65, 95, 122, 125, and 162 for OQ Prompt Party 2019. Hope you enjoyed this, and please leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

When they brought him to the cell that would become his home for an indeterminate amount of time, the candelabrum and clock introduced themselves as Baelfire and Killian. They explained that their current forms reflected their personalities- Baelfire's name suggested a candelabrum, and Killian's love of the sea and using the sun to determine navigation and time justified his clock form.

Robin paced in his cell, mulling over the queen's final revelations, and his decision to accept being the queen's prisoner for as long as that lasted. Although he wanted to leave due to feeling betrayed because he thought that the queen would do something besides take his memories, his honor wouldn't allow him to set even one foot out the door, and he'd absolutely prefer that he be here in place of his mother or son, but a part of him regretted his hasty decision-making.

After about five hours, the door opened, and the candelabrum and clock that had brought him to the dungeon entered.

"We're here to take you to Her Majesty," Baelfire told him. "Follow us, please."

Reluctantly, Robin followed them to the throne room, a dark room with a tall ceiling. At the far end of the room sat a pair of thrones, only one of which was occupied.

"How are you liking your accommodations, thief?" the queen asked.

"Far preferable to my future accommodations, milady," he answered. "I am a man of my word, but if I'd known you planned to take my memories of the people I love, I wouldn't have agreed to take my mother's place, and found another way to save her from the fate you've sentenced me to in her stead. Nothing is worth losing my memories of her or Roland, or my late wife. To tell you the truth, I had expected to be beheaded or eaten; I feel a little betrayed that that isn't the case."

"The fate I sentenced you to is far kinder than remembering those you've lost, I did you a favor," she shot back. "If you're so eager to get back to them, why don't you just leave?"

"Wh-What?" Robin stuttered, shocked. Was she serious?

"Leave. Don't darken my doorway again," the queen commanded.

Hardly daring to believe his good fortune, Robin did as she bade him, never glancing back as he hastened from her presence to find a horse and make his way home.

Regina sat in a stunned silence after the thief's son left. She turned and fled to her chambers, snatching up the mirror to watch as he fled the castle so quickly it seemed he thought the hounds of Hell were dogging his every step.

He traipsed into the forest, an unwise decision so soon after nightfall. And shouldn't he know that? She had watched him and his son after his mother's arrival at her castle, he frequented the forest with a regularity that other townsfolk meandered through their respective villages. It seemed that his desperation to get away from her and back to his mother and son were so great that he had thrown caution to the wind.

And truth be told, if she had been in his same situation, wouldn't she have done the same for the two people she loved most? Although she and Daniel had never had the chance to make their bond official, and Henry was not her biological son, but Emma's and Baelfire's, she loved the child as if he was her own. She always had, and always would, and would do anything she could to ensure the boy and man's safety. Both were so innocent, so pure, that someone wronging them was unthinkable. And while she couldn't say the same of the woman who had stolen Henry's ball, she couldn't fault a blameless child any more than she could bring Daniel and Henry back into her life.

So, her heart softened toward him and she let him go for the sake of his son, and watched as he traversed the forest, pausing now and then, whether to make sure he was walking in the right direction or to listen for predators, she wasn't sure.

An hour into his journey, he encountered a pack of wolves, the drool salivating from their mouths a sure sign that they were hungry, and her former prisoner was the intended main course for their next meal.

While she had no love for the father, the thought of his son being fatherless after the father in question defied his honor and her decree just so he could retain his memories of him had her sprinting from the room on all floors, thankful for the first time in a decade for the four paws that lent more speed to her pursuit than two hands and feet would have. She was going to find him, and make sure that sweet child was not left an orphan if it was the last thing she did.

Robin had been traveling for an hour when he heard howling not far from his location. He prayed that the wolves wouldn't approach him, but all too soon, their howls were too close for comfort.

He looked for a tree he could climb, but there were no trees with branches that were low enough, even if he stood on Phillippe's back. And even then, what about Phillippe? He didn't want to leave the family's trusted steed behind, so he nudged Phillippe into a gallop in the hopes that he would outrun the wolves.

But it was no use. A few minutes later he could see a pack of ten wolves approaching, and he still urged his chestnut mare on, drawing his bow and an arrow from his back.

If he said so himself, he thought he was using his arrows rather effectively- up until the point when one of the wolves managed to snatch his bow away with its teeth.

Robin glanced around frantically, wondering what to do. The wolves were advancing, and he had nowhere to run- and even if he did, he was sure that the wolves would only come after him, and there would be no hope for his survival.

At that moment, his captor appeared, sprinting on all fours to dive into the pack of wolves, claws lashing out left and right to ward them off, fighting them like her life depended on it.

Robin took advantage of the burst of energy that her sudden appearance had given him to snatch his bow back from the clutches of the wolf's jaws.

He was letting arrows fly into the pack when suddenly Phillippe let out a whinny of alarm, rearing up on his hind legs and throwing Robin off.

He landed with a hard _thud _on the ground, a sound that likely wasn't heard by any other being around him, as the others were still immersed in their fight.

But he was wrong. Suddenly, he saw a paw reaching out to him, and the face of the queen as she growled, "Come on!"

He took her clawed hand, jumping up, but in the next second, he saw that helping him had cost them both dearly.

One of the wolves had sunk its teeth into his arm. Blood flowed profusely from the deep gash, filling Robin with dread- they weren't out of the woods yet, and he worried that if he obtained more wounds, he would lose too much blood. He was starting to become dizzy from blood loss as it was.

But the queen had seen what had befallen him. She quickly tore a portion of her sleeve to wrap around the wound, tying it securely. She wrapped her arm, now exposed enough to see the tattoo of a feather on her burned flesh, around his waist and hauled him up with her onto Phillipe with a strength that likely came from the beast parts of her. He felt their velocity increase as she urged the stallion into a gallop, and they sped away from the wolves toward the safety of the castle.

Once her castle came into view, Regina immediately dismounted and picked up her prisoner, thankful twice in one night for the beastly tendencies that the fairy's curse had bestowed upon her. Without them, it was unlikely she would have been able to drag the man, let alone pluck him off of his horse and carry him inside like a rag doll.

Baelfire and Killian saw her coming and rushed off, presumably to fetch medical supplies. "Bring everything to my chambers," she called after them.

"Are you sure, Your Majesty?" Baelfire checked, flames flickering as he turned toward her. The staff were barely allowed into her room to clean, so she could understand his astonishment that she was asking them to be there now.

"That's where the largest fireplace in the castle is located- therefore, it's the warmest room," Regina pointed out. "But I shouldn't be explaining my decisions to a servant. Go, do as I say. _Now_, or you'll pay the price."

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty, right away," Baelfire stumbled over his words and his feet as he hurried off to follow her orders.

Once in her chambers, she laid the prisoner on the chaise lounge by the fire. She wanted to get a closer look at his wound, but she didn't dare remove the makeshift tourniquet until she had the supplies necessary to properly address his wound.

At that moment Baelfire and Emma appeared in the doorway, hurrying toward her with a basin filled with hot water from Emma's spout and numerous cloths. Regina thanked them, an act that made their eyes widen with surprise. She hadn't done something so humane as have proper manners since the sequence of events that had turned her into her current grotesque form.

After telling her to call if she needed further assistance, they left, leaving Regina alone with her prisoner and her own restless thoughts.

She prepared a cloth with the water Emma had provided, then slowly untied the makeshift tourniquet, instantaneously pressing the warm cloth to the wound to soak up and repress any blood that may try to flow from the opening.

Suddenly, her eye caught something dark just below where she had tied the tourniquet, on the thief's forearm. It was the lion tattoo, the sign she had dreaded for years, the mark that that fairy, Tinkerbelle, the one who had the audacity to curse her to this fate, had told her was the distinguishing characteristic of the one man who had any chance of falling in love with her and breaking the curse placed upon the castle and its inhabitants.

Oh, how she so desperately wanted to walk away! To leave this room, and his life, and never look upon his face again! She had no need of a man who stalked her castle and whose mother stole from her. He didn't treat her with respect either, always having the nerve to challenge her instead of treating her like the royalty she was. She didn't need any man, but she _especially_ didn't need a man like that.

At the same time though, he was father to a little boy who would be orphaned without his father, not to mention devastated at the news of his passing. So with that in mind, she continued to treat him, using the magic she had harnessed during her decade of confinement to heal the worst of his injury. At the same moment that she was confident that the worst of the bleeding had ebbed away, the stalker (she refused to stop calling him that or "thief", he stalked her castle for days, after all) regained consciousness.

"Where are we?" he queried.

"My chambers," Regina told him, slightly annoyed at having to explain this again. "It was the best option, it has the largest fire, and therefore, will warm you up the fastest. I'm sure you need it, you lost a lot of blood."

The thief attempted to prop himself up on his elbows, then collapsed back on the chaise lounge in the position he had started with. He gazed at her, sapphire blue eyes filled with even more sincerity than they had contained when he was pleading with her to spare his mother. "Thank you- I don't know your name, milady."

Regina hesitated. To give him her name was to give him power over her, to build a familiarity she knew she didn't want him to feel that he had with her. At the same time, though, the deep recesses of his eyes told her that for the moment, at least, his desire to know her name was innocent- he genuinely wanted to give her his thanks.

"Regina," she supplied. "I'm… Regina. And I don't remember you telling me yours, thief."

A fire that she couldn't explain fueled his gaze as he looked up at her. "It's Robin," he responded. "Thank you, Regina, for saving my life tonight. Your name suits you- the bold and audacious queen. Did your parents specifically name you that because they knew that one day, you would be queen?"

Her emotions, and by extension her expression, immediately soured. "That's what she hoped, and people came up with less flattering monikers for me, but that didn't come until later" she replied curtly.

His gaze softened even more as he pointed out, "That response makes it sound like that's not what you wanted. What happened?"

The walls he had managed to chip away at with the chisel of his kindness immediately fortified themselves. "That's none of your concern."

His hands went up, the picture of surrender. "All right, I won't ask. Just know that if you ever want to talk about that, or anything else, I'm always willing to listen. And if people saw you now, as I do, those monikers wouldn't exist. They don't for me, and I've only known you a day."

"I doubt it- and even if they didn't, for how long would it last?" she shot back skeptically. "I thought you were leaving."

"That depends, milady," he answered. "Are you still planning on taking my memories of my mother and son? My wife?" Through his voice she could hear the devastation that that act would cause him, and she relented, tired of assuming this persona.

"No," she murmured. "No, I'm actually not."

Apprehension clouded his eyes as he scrutinized her. "Are you certain? Because just this afternoon, you were willing to erase the very essence of who I am with one swipe of your hand. Or whatever method of magic you planned on using."

"Yes, I'm certain!" she snapped, irritation making her voice rise several decibels. "I may not be the nicest creature- being- _thing_\- you'll ever meet, but I do keep my word, as much as possible, at any rate. And if you must know, before you so recklessly declared you didn't want to be here, I had called you to my presence to tell you that instead of erasing your memories, as I do with all other trespassers, my plan is to force you to live with them- as a prisoner here, for the rest of your days."

Instead of protesting her sentence, he simply nodded. "I expected that to be the alternative. If I'd known then what I know now, I wouldn't have left. And to tell you the truth, I would much rather that be the punishment than your original castigation."

"A fact that I still find puzzling," Regina admitted. "What exactly can you gain by holding on to painful memories?"

He paused at that, his brow furrowed as he pondered. "If the tragedy also contained a happy ending, I'd think that would be worth remembering despite the pain."

As she stood, she shook her head, baffled. "We'll have to agree to disagree on that, outlaw."

"As I told you, milady, it's Robin."

He grabbed her hand, she assumed to help himself stand, and as he utilized it to pull himself up, his lips brushed the back of her hand.

The glare she gave him could have scorched an entire village. "What was that?" she asked suspiciously.

"Apologies, milady, I was simply trying to stand." But the look in his eyes was anything but apologetic, full of an emotion she couldn't define.

"Maybe you should stay still then. I didn't heal you for nothing, you know," she informed him.

"Then why did you?"

She paused briefly, wondering how much of the truth she should reveal. "You'll see," she called over her shoulder as she walked out of the room.

**This chapter contains prompts 196, 29, 9, 48, 34, and 83 for OQ Prompt Party 2019. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

Robin pondered his life in the month he'd been living at the castle, marveling at how his circumstances had improved dramatically since the day of his arrival.

As a result of his extended stay and the persuasion skills of Emma, Killian, and Baelfire, Regina had given him a room that was as big as his cottage. Not only that, but it had a spectacular view of the forest, as it was high enough within the castle that from the windows, he could look through the tops of the trees and imagine what lay beyond the forest.

After going to the door and ensuring that he would not be disturbed, Robin extracted _The Beast in the Beauty _from the bag he had brought and looked at the woman he now knew to be his captor, her figure untarnished by scars or fur.

He had realized just who he was dealing with from the moment he learned her name. He shook his head with annoyance as he flipped through the pages of the book, marveling at just how wrong Isaac Heller had been about her- the only fact in the book was the queen's name. Contrary to what the author wanted his readers to believe, Regina was not a cannibalistic witch who had not a drop of compassion in her veins. In his time at the castle, he had learned that she was complicated, demanding, but never as cruel as the man who penned the novel made her out to be.

His musings were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. He opened it to find Emma, Killian, and Baelfire, and immediately invited them in.

"We have something we need to discuss with you," Emma began. "Regina's birthday is quickly approaching, and we-"

"Ahem, not 'we,' I did not have anything to do with this idea, I think it's terrible, and you know exactly why." Baelfire interjected.

"Anyway," Emma continued. "We want to find a way to mark the occasion, and we wondered if you could help. If you want to, of course."

"Of course, I would," Robin instantly acquiesced to their request. "Maybe we could have a party for her?"

Emma nodded enthusiastically. "That's a great idea! We've had so little to celebrate in the last several years that I think a party is exactly what we need."

For the rest of the afternoon, they planned the details. Robin hoped that Baelfire was wrong, that Regina would enjoy her party- because he dreaded to think about what would happen to them all if she didn't.

_"What you deserve, Regina, is happiness. To have what you want."_

_ Regina scoffed. "No, I don't. Haven't you heard? I'm a villain, and villains don't get happy endings."_

_ Robin cocked his head to the side, appraising her. "Villains can change, though. And from where I'm standing, the compassionate woman who spared my memories isn't a villain. Not completely, anyway."_

_ Regina groaned. "Then stand somewhere else. Because it's obvious that you're not seeing things clearly."_

_ He had the audacity to lean forward, cupping her hairy cheek in his hand. "Or maybe I just need to persuade you to see yourself the way I do. Despite the scars, despite the curse, every part of you is beautiful." _

_ With that, he closed the remaining gap between them and kissed her, and Regina couldn't help but hope that maybe the man with the lion tattoo was the one who could fall in love with her and break the curse after all._

Regina woke on her birthday, the day she dreaded most every year, and immediately wished she was still asleep.

Although even her dream state wasn't an ideal place to be this morning, as her mind had betrayed her with those visions of Robin. The man whose optimism she found insufferable on a daily basis had invaded her dreams in a vision that was either the best dream she had ever had or her worst nightmare, she couldn't decide which. Over the last month, she and Robin- she called him that in her head, but still insisted on calling him outlaw or thief to his face- had gotten into more verbal sparring matches than she can count, him always advocating for whatever course of action or opinion was the most hopeful, while she supported the path that led to doom and destruction. In the moments of silence that filled the rest of her days as she wandered the castle, she reluctantly admitted to herself that she enjoyed these conversations, the fact that he had the courage to stand against her a novelty in her life surrounded by obedient servants.

For the rest of the day, she's haunted by the ghosts of the past. They surround her, the memories an invisible vise that suffocated her: every kiss she had shared with Daniel, every one of Henry's giggles as she won yet another tickle fight, among countless others that made up the period of time they had together that was all too short.

She knew she shouldn't feel as devastated about Henry's death- he was Emma and Baelfire's son, after all- but the five years that his joyful shouts had filled the castle corridors had been the happiest times she had ever spent within its walls. Although she and Emma weren't what most people would consider friends, she had seen the way Regina's eyes lit up when Henry was first passed into her arms, and from that day on, she had never been far from him, even having the honor of being a part of his bedtime routine on a regular basis and having responsibility for him whenever Emma wanted time to herself.

As she walked down to dinner that night, Regina heard excited voices whispering in the grand hall. Why had they come? In the days before Robin's arrival, she had always eaten alone. Since Robin's arrival, that had changed, as he would sometimes dine with her, and other times with the staff. But there was no reason for there to be so much chatter behind the closed doors.

When she opened them, she barely registered the presence of each member of the staff and Robin before they all shouted, "SURPRISE!"

She looked around the room in shock. They had decorated with candles on every available surface and placed bouquets of flowers around the room. The table was laden with each of her favorite dishes, but all the sight did was make her sick to her stomach.

"Your Majesty, it's your birthday, so you get three wishes-" Emma began, but Regina didn't stay to hear her finish her sentence. She turned and fled, as thankful for her animalistic velocity as she had been on the night she rescued Robin from the wolves, her limbs taking her to her room, where she was sure no one would disturb her.

How dare they do this to her? How _dare _they! Apart from Robin, they all knew what this day meant to her, what significance it had. She couldn't _believe_ that instead of allowing her to mourn in peace, they had arranged this setup, this _surprise_, likely in the hope of trying to tell her that "the joy one finds in life is paid for by suffering that comes later, just as sometimes, the suffering is redeemed by a joy unexpected," a quote from one of Emma's favorite books.

She stormed into her room, walking toward the balcony. She just wanted to feel the night air, something that had a hope of distracting her from how miserable her life was. Memories of Henry and Daniel still gripped her, the wind doing nothing to soothe her.

A few minutes later, she heard her door open and before she knew it, she could feel someone standing behind her. "What do you want?" she snapped.

"To ask you why you ran off. And to offer a listening ear, if you need one." The voice of that awful thief answered. She should have known it was him, the scent of forest was everywhere, assailing her nostrils.

She turned to fix him with one of her sternest glares. "Emma said I have three wishes, right?"

He nodded.

"Well, maybe one of those wishes is that everyone leaves me alone for the rest of the night. So leave, thief, before I do something more than just throw words at you."

She turned her back on him, facing the forest and wallowing in her grief. After several moments spent in silence, she realized she didn't want him to leave. She turned to him. "Why haven't you left yet?"

"You said one of your wishes _might _be to be left alone. Not that it actually was. So I stayed, just in case. I don't know the others' motives in throwing you the party, but I just wanted to see you smile."

She sighed. Why must this thief be so incessantly kind? She had certainly done nothing to deserve it.

At last, she let out her breath in a huff, telling him. "Fine. My first wish is for you to listen, _without judgement_, to my story. If you get in the way of me telling you this, I'll never tell you anything in confidence again."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Robin assured her, gesturing with his hand for her to continue.

Robin moved forward to stand beside the queen at the edge of her balcony, waiting for her to speak.

"Ten years ago today, I was living my dream. My husband, the king, had died, and I was finally able to be with Daniel, the castle's stable boy, the man I truly loved. We even had a son of sorts, H-Henry," here her voice faltered, and his guess was that she was choking back a sob. "He was Emma and Baelfire's son, but she let me help take care of him because when he was born, the king was still alive, so I only had stolen moments of happiness, so she let me have some of those moments with him."

Robin wanted to chuckle at her phrasing given what she always called him, but bit his lip to keep silent. He had wanted to know the truth of her story for too long to do anything that would make her cease in the retelling of her tale.

"On my birthday, one of the servants- I never found out who- accidentally dropped a torch and set fire to a curtain, which, as I'm sure you've seen, destroyed large portions of the west wing. Everyone else made it to safety, but H-Henry and D-Daniel and I- we had been playing hide and seek in that part of the castle, and-"

She lifted a hand to wipe away the tears that were falling down her cheeks, but Robin beat her to it. He gently reached out two fingers to wipe away her tears. She nodded- which was likely all the thanks he would ever get- then finished her story. "Daniel shouted for me, and I found him- not without the fire leaving its marks, as you can see. But Henry- he was hard of hearing, he couldn't hear us, so Daniel went b-back in to look for him, and- and-"

Robin nodded solemnly. She didn't need to finish; he already knew. She had lost Daniel and Henry the same way he had lost Marian: irreparably, suddenly, so fast that he had barely taken their son into his arms before she was lost to him forever.

He decided to comfort her by telling her some of the tale, so that she wouldn't feel so alone, and know that someone understood.

"I lost Roland's mother too, the day he was born," he disclosed. "My Marian was so gentle and caring, full of love for everyone she met. Roland's birthday is both a joyous and heartbreaking occasion because it's also when I lost her when she died in childbirth. And Roland himself looks so much like her, it's hard some days not to fall apart remembering her- but then I think that she's living on in a way, in Roland. Maybe you can think of Emma and Baelfire in that way, maybe that will ease some of your distress."

Her gaze met his, understanding in her eyes, before she turned away. "Doubtful. It's been ten years, and it never fades. And to add to that- well, look at me and think about what I've done. The combination drives people away, and the staff barely tolerate me now, so I'll never have what I had with Henry and Daniel again."

"You will," Robin refuted adamantly, taking her hand- which he always thought of as a hand, even though more of it was covered with fur than not. He rubbed the back of her hand soothingly with his thumb. "Why don't you start with a friend? There're few things I'd love more than to be a friend to you, someone you know you can confide in when days are rough and rejoice with when life goes your way."

She chuckled darkly. "The latter is few and far between. You really think we can do this? That I can be loved, despite everything, even in the platonic sense?"

He nodded. "I do."

She looked away, out over the forest before them, seeming to ponder his offer of a shoulder to lean on. "Fine then, have it your way. My second wish of the evening is for us to be- friends." She said the word so hesitantly that Robin wondered if she had ever had any friends.

He smiled. "Perfect. And the third?"

She was still for a few moments. Then, so quietly he wasn't sure if he had heard her, she whispered, "Comfort me, Robin."

Robin wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly- especially the second his name fell from her lips. He took a chance and put his arms around her.

The second his arms surrounded her, fireworks went off in front of them, mirroring how he felt holding her. His hands were placed where he could feel the seamless transition between fur and skin, and he pulled her closer when she tensed, hoping to show her through everything he did that she was worthy of every kind of love.

**This chapter contains prompts 64, 96, 146, 141, 74, 114, 188: fireworks, and 4 for OQ Prompt Party 2019. Enjoy, and let me know what you think! The quote is from James A. Owen's **_**Here, There be Dragons.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**The beautiful new cover for this is a manip done by the wonderful hopefulfeathers (thanks again!). This chapter contains the prompts haunted castle, child, and journey for Spooky OQ 2019. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

The first thing Robin did the following morning was seek out Emma in the kitchens.

The tea kettle was supervising the preparation of breakfast, barking out orders like the captain of an army. And Robin supposed the various enchanted people did look like an army to some degree, the line of utensils standing at attention on the stove too organized to warrant any other comparison. "Might I have a word?" Robin requested.

The minute she saw Robin, Emma told them, "Carry on," and came over to him. "Good morning, Robin, what can I do for you?" she asked as she led him into the pantry.

"Why did you do it?" a flabbergasted Robin demanded once the door was closed behind them, not bothering to explain what he was talking about. "You knew that day was the worst day of her life, and it should be yours too. How could you just ignore it? You lost your son that day!"

"That's exactly why I did it," Emma responded quietly, drops of steamy water sliding down her kettle form.

Robin quickly realized they were tears and reached out to wipe them away, but she hopped out of his reach. "I know Henry wouldn't want any of us to be miserable on any day that makes us think of him. I know it weighed on the queen the most- after all, she had almost no one who she believed loved her before Henry was born. Only Daniel. But it's been a decade, and while I can understand that she still mourns him, she should have a chance to not dwell on her despair for a minute and realize what she has right in front of her." Here she gave Robin what seemed to be a smile and a wink, so that Robin knew exactly what she meant.

"Me? You really think I can help her find joy in life again?" Robin asked disbelievingly. The teapot's proposition was dependent on Regina's attitude toward him on a given day. And while he hoped that he was making progress toward gaining her trust, he doubted he had any kind of real influence over her.

"Why not?" Emma questioned with her equivalent of a shrug. "I lost all rapport with her the minute Henry was gone. And you share a connection with her that I never could- I've never lost the love of my life. Both of the men I've loved in my lifetime are right here."

Robin pondered her statement for a moment. While it was true that they shared that connection, he didn't know if it would be enough to persuade her to let him in. But as Emma had pointed out, if he couldn't help Regina, who could? While it was a tall order to put on one man's shoulders, there was no one else who stood a chance of getting through to her. She never acknowledged the staff beyond a barked order in their direction, meaning that it was unlikely that she would listen to a word they said. They had been trying for a decade, after all, and it was clear to Robin that their efforts had not been fruitful.

"All right," he finally agreed. "I'll try. But as you know, she's been through a lot, so I can make no promises other than that I'll do what I can."

"That's all I'm asking," Emma replied with a small smile. "Thank you."

Later that day, Robin waited in the main dining room, the same room Regina had fled from the night before, for her to dine with him. The room had been stripped bare of the decorations that had adorned it the night before, and Robin hoped that that would help appease Regina. He hadn't seen her all day, and was concerned about her. Not that he hadn't seen her; that was understandable, given the size of the castle. But he was worried that the memories of the day before had come back to haunt her, and she was sequestered on her own, the castle as haunted as she was by the ghosts of the past, with no one to ease the suffering that had happened within its walls.

Not that she needed help. Regina was the most resilient person Robin had ever known. The pain she must have endured on the night she lost Daniel and Henry would have been crippling for anyone- or at least, it would be for Robin. He had barely survived Marian's death, he couldn't imagine if he had had to face the death of both his wife and son.

He was torn from his thoughts when Regina finally stormed sulkily into the room. Her demeanor immediately put Robin on red alert. This was not the same woman with a tearstained face that he had comforted the night before. Instead of a raging flood, Regina was a burning flame, A fire blazed in her eyes, warning him of what would happen should he dare to try to get any closer to her. Even her clothes were unwelcoming, an ebony black that matched her mood. The eyes that had been full of tears the night before were now closed off, an impenetrable wall built between the queen and the world.

Robin yearned to find out what was wrong and soothe her if he could, but he wasn't sure that was the wisest course of action. Still, he couldn't bear to see her this way, and Emma's words from earlier that day echoed in his ears. If there was ever a doubt in his mind that Regina needed someone to be on her side, those doubts had been demolished in the last twenty-four hours. Additionally, he had promised that he would be a friend to her, and offering a listening ear was what a friend would do, right?

"Your Majesty?" he asked tentatively. "What's wrong? Is there anything I can do?"

"I'll tell you exactly what you can do," she snapped back. "Leave me alone. Or better yet, go home. Go back to your tiny little village with your mother and son. I'm sure they miss you, and you're of no use here."

Robin was taken aback. He had wondered if her attitude toward his offer of friendship would change in the light of day, but he had never anticipated that it would change so drastically that she would make the suggestion that he return to Roland and his mother. "Are- are you sure?" He wanted to add _Are you sure this isn't just a mechanism for you to guard your heart?, _but knew that any evaluation of her emotions would warrant a rapid-fire comeback.

He said softly, "If you just need someone to talk to, I'm here. That's what friends are for, after all." He wasn't completely sure she knew that- from the little he knew of her story, he suspected that Daniel had been one of her few friends, or possibly the only one. She might need the reminder that a friend would always be there for her, whether she wanted support or not.

"I don't need your friendship- you're just a filthy villager who has ludicrous romantic ideas that are far from what reality looks like," she retorted, and while he knew that each word was just another wall she thrust between them, that he shouldn't take it seriously, the comment still stung.

"Ahh, but you haven't yet asked me to go home again," Robin pointed out. "So that might mean that you secretly like having me here. So I'm staying."

For a fleeting second, he saw something in her eyes that looked like relief. His resolve renewed, he informed her, "I can be just as stubborn as you, milady. You won't win this argument so easily."

"Fine," she retorted. "Stay, have it your way. But don't expect me to be civil, you've brought this on yourself."

"Sounds fair," Robin shrugged. He knew that he could persuade her to change her mind, but he wouldn't be able to do that if she sent him home. So he would stay for as long as it took to soften Regina's heart and make her believe in happy endings again.

Regina threw the doors to her room open, quickly making her way to the balcony that surveyed the forest surrounding the castle. She was still fuming from her confrontation with the thief. How did he have the guts to stand up to her in a way that no one else dared to?

She had woken that morning and immediately regretted the events of the night before. How had she been so gullible as to agree to the thief's friendship? As her mother had told her, _love is weakness_\- and she had made it clear throughout Regina's life that this mantra encompassed every kind of love, even love for her own daughter. Growing up, the only loving memories that Regina had from either of her parents were the moments she spent with her father, which were few and far between.

And then Daniel had come into her life, and turned it upside down. Her time with Daniel, and then Daniel and Henry, had easily been the happiest of Regina's life. That Robin had dared to suggest that she could have the semblance of that again through his friendship was ridiculous. She didn't need anyone, she had already had happiness and it had been snatched away from her in the blink of an eye. She was toxic; everyone who came into contact with her ended up being torn from her at a later date. Through that, she had finally learned her lesson: to not trust anyone, not let anyone into her heart. So the fact that Robin had managed to coax some of her secrets out of her was devastating, despite the fact that Daniel's last wish had been that she love again.

She contemplated the development of Robin's refusal to leave. She knew the thief well enough to know that he would stand by his word; that he wouldn't leave the castle, no matter what she threw his way. So maybe- just maybe- she could test his offer of friendship, find out just how genuine he had been with that proposal the night before.

Two weeks later, Robin sat looking at Heller's book grinning to himself and shaking his head as he flipped through the pages. He should have thrown the book away long ago, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Although it was full of lies about Regina, it also contained the only pictures of her that he had, and if she ever did throw him out of her castle- a likely outcome if she ever found the book in his hand- he wanted to know that he still had a way to look at her, even if she didn't look the same without the fur and burns that he was so accustomed to. One thing was for sure though: no matter how much he begged, he would not allow Roland to know the contents of the book. Not only was the book full of lies, but those lies would scare his child to the point that Robin was sure that he would have nightmares for weeks.

Looking down at a particularly vile passage, he flipped the book over and threw it on his bed. He left the room, on a mission to find Regina, who was more human and far more complex than Heller gave her credit for.

He found her in the great hall of the castle, supervising its cleaning. In the days since her birthday, she had become even more reserved. All of his attempts to get her to talk to him had been futile, but he didn't consider them a waste. Although he still missed Marian and knew that he would never have that love again (his happy ending was Roland, he didn't need to fall in love again), he believed that it was possible for Regina to have her happy ending, whatever that looked like for her.

She looked over when she heard him approach, but didn't give him the courtesy of a greeting, instead ordering a maid to, "Sweep every last corner, we don't want dust gathering in this castle, do we?"

Robin shook his head as the frightened maid scurried away. "You know, it's far easier to catch flies with honey than with vinegar," he reminded her. "Your staff may react differently if you nicely ask them to do things instead of scaring them half to death."

Her eyes betrayed how conflicted she was before she seemed to regain her composure and rebutted, "Who are you to tell me how to run my castle? Last I checked, I am the monarch, I don't need a pathetic thief to tell me what to do."

Robin's only response was to shake his head in amusement. Ever since the day following her birthday, Regina had done nothing but push him away. He had met every attempt with an even firmer desire to help her, to somehow regain her trust and bring back the vulnerable, strong, loving queen he had known on the night of her birthday. Because he knew that what he had seen that night had been the real Regina, untethered by any of the walls that she protected herself with, and to him, being privileged enough to experience that side of her was nothing short of a miraculous gift that he would treasure forever.

"What?" she shouted. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"No, I'm not going to rise to the challenge," Robin chuckled. "Have a good remainder of your day, milady."

"It's Your Majesty," she called after him as he walked away.

Later that day, Robin was in his room, _The Beast in the Beauty_ in hand. He was about to put it away when he heard a knock on his door.

He gave his permission for his guest to enter, and to his surprise, Regina walked in. Seeing the book, she asked, "What's that?"

"Nothing," Robin replied speedily, hiding the book behind his back. "What can I do for you, Regina?"

"For one thing, you can call me 'Your Majesty,'" she informed him. "You can also show me whatever it is you're hiding. I have a right to know the things that come into and out of this castle. And I was going to ask if you would help the servants cook dinner, because although the teapot's a passable cook, what I requested tonight isn't her best dish, so she can use all the help she can get."

Robin was a little miffed that she would place him in the same category as Killian, Baelfire, and the other people who worked at the castle, but didn't let his vexation show. "As you wish, Your Majesty," he responded, bowing before her.

When he came up, he saw a repulsed, horrified expression cement itself on Regina's otherwise lovely face. "What is that?" she asked in a menacing tone.

Robin grimaced. When he decided to bow, he had forgotten that the book was behind his back. What was he going to do now?

The dilemma was taken out of his hands by Regina, who sent a lasso of fire his way that wrapped around the volume in his hand. As the ring pulled the book out of his grasp and toward Regina, the flames licked his hand, leaving behind burns that he knew would fade with time, but in the moment were so badly inflamed that he sank to his bed, clutching his hand and looking around for the pitcher of water that he kept in his room.

His objective was forgotten, however, when he heard Regina's gasp. He hurried over to her, rushing to explain, "I found it in a bookstore, I don't believe a word of it-"

"Yes, you do!" the distressed queen exclaimed. "How else can you possibly explain this? You have a book that's all about me, and wanted to see if this supposedly omniscient author was telling the truth about me! Well, I'll tell you one thing, _thief_, you can have your precious book and your life back, because I never want to see your smug presence in my castle again! Go, tell everyone all about the _beast _that lives within these walls all you like, I don't care."

Robin frowned, certain that she was just putting up defenses to protect her heart, an action that she believed was essential to her survival, but in reality would never be necessary around him.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" he pondered softly. Maybe getting her to question her motives would convince her to allow him to stay at the castle. He had a promise to keep, and he wasn't willing to leave the castle until he had fulfilled it.

"Yes. I am. Now leave, before you return to your precious family more harmed than you already are."

Robin thought quickly, trying to come up with a plan. He knew one of her weaknesses, something she couldn't resist, no matter how hard she tried. If he left, it was possible that he could return and use this weakness to soften her heart, help her open up to him. He suspected that should he return and enact his plan, she would be unable to resist opening her heart, which would bring them one step closer to breaking the curse placed upon her.

"All right," he agreed, feigning reluctance and fighting to suppress a triumphant grin. "If that is what you want, I'll leave."

"As you should," she muttered. "Now pack your things."

"As you wish, Regina," he acquiesced,

He did as she requested once she stormed out of his chambers, quickly packing his few belongings in his satchel.

As he walked toward the front doors, he was waylaid by Emma, Killian, and Baelfire. "Robin, where are you going?" the cook demanded. "You aren't leaving, are you? You promised you would stay, help her see she can be loved, break the curse…"

"I know, but she asked me to leave, and under the circumstances, to some degree I don't blame her," Robin informed her. Lowering his voice in case the queen could hear him, he added, "Don't worry though, I have a plan. I'll be back in no time, and I promise, I will do everything I can to help her."

He could see that Emma and KIllian wanted to protest, but one look into his earnest eyes silenced whatever arguments they were going to utilize to convince him to stay. "All right mate," Killian said firmly. "Do what you need to do."

With that, Robin walked out of the castle and began his journey home.

At the last second, he looked back and thought he saw the shadow of a figure watching him go. _Does she regret asking me to leave? _he wondered.

He smiled to himself. Little did she know that he would return, and sooner than she anticipated.

Regina stood at her balcony, watching Robin walk away from her castle. The part of her that had once been softened by Daniel's love was screaming at her to go after him, but the part that had been hardened by first her mother, then Rumplestiltskin reminded her that _love is weakness_, and she hardened her resolve. What would a peasant like Robin ever have to offer her?

_Love,_ Daniel's beloved voice echoed in her ear. Although he had never voiced his affection- the threats of her mother and the king looming over their heads left little time for those three little words, and the few times he had tried, she had used various methods to silence him. Even after the king's death, she feared that the worst would happen, but everything he said and did had shown her how he felt about her.

The closest he had ever gotten to revealing his feelings had been as the flames of the fire that claimed his life raged around them. He had told her to _love again_, a dying wish that she knew she could never grant.

So in the weeks since her birthday, she had used any means necessary to turn Robin away from her, but to no avail. Each time she lashed out at him, the only response she received was a conceited smirk. It was almost like Robin knew exactly what she was doing, and was determined to make her change her mind, to be the weak fool who had told him her secrets again.

And then she had found that awful book. Who did this _Isaac Heller _think he was, thinking he knew her well enough to write a book about her, and worse, distribute that piece of garbage to the masses? One look at the page Robin had opened the book to had told her everything she needed to know, the passage she had seen making her stomach churn:

_The monster that was once Queen Regina did not _

_spare any innocents in her quest to ruin the lives of _

_those around her. She even kidnapped children and, _

_like tales of witches before her, fattened them to feed _

_to her dogs…_

The implications of the arrogant author's words made Regina see red long before she had finally stopped reading. What kind of author was this Heller, writing these things about her without ever doing his research? She would never, _ever _harm any children. They were innocent, after all, far more than their parents often were. She had never once taken a child's memories, preferring instead to take the happy endings of adults who were unfortunate enough to cross her path.

But Heller had claimed otherwise, and judging by the fact that he owned this book of lies, Robin, the one person she had dared to trust with her secrets in years, believed every word of it. The thought made her blood boil.

So when he had initially refused to leave, she knew that she had to use any means necessary to eradicate the disease that was his constant hope and happiness from her life forever. And to her eternal relief, it had worked.

At the sound of someone approaching her chambers, she turned. "What are you doing here?" she demanded of the teapot that was in her doorway.

"Just- I saw Robin on his way out," Emma tentatively began. "Are you sure that sending him away was the right thing to do?"

Regina made a ball of fire, turning the book in that hand to ashes. "Not that it's any of your concern, Miss Swan, but yes, I'm positive. You forget your place- _I _am the queen of this castle."

Emma seemed skeptical and unperturbed by the words that were meant to harm her. "But Regina, he could have-"

"Don't you dare try to tell me what he could and couldn't do! Clearly, if you thought he would be the one to break the curse, you were wrong. He had no interest in me whatsoever, all he wanted was to make me the most feared being in all the kingdom."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked. "Because that doesn't sound like the Robin I know. And no matter how this curse altered you, Regina, you _are _human, whether you think others believe that or not."

The cook left her then, and to Regina, the silence was a breath of fresh air. She didn't need any of Emma's hope speeches. She had had more than enough of those from Robin in the time she had known him. All she wanted was to be left alone with her memories of Daniel and Henry- the only ones who had ever truly loved her.

Her traitorous thoughts returned to Robin. Was Emma right? Was there a chance that her reassessment of his character had been inaccurate? She had a feeling that she would never know, As a man of his word, it was unlikely that he would ever return to her castle- and while she was grateful for that (the cover of that detestable book was still in her mind's eye), a miniscule part of her- so tiny it was hardly worth mentioning- wondered if Emma was right; that she had thrown her last chance at happiness away.

For while he was irritating beyond belief and she would never tell him this, she enjoyed their banter. He was one of the few to challenge her in a way that made her eager to match his arguments with her own. It pushed her intellect in a way that no one had done before, not even Daniel.

She looked out into the forest around her. Had she just sent away her second chance at happiness? And even worse- would she regret her potentially rash actions for the rest of her life? Only time would tell.

As Robin approached the edge of the forest, he could see his house through the thinning trees. The familiar sight, instead of calming him, filled him with apprehension. How would Ryleigh react when she learned that he would be leaving again so soon? All she knew of Regina were the characteristics that Heller would have described as "beastly," so she was unlikely to take the news that someone in her family was returning to the castle well.

As he walked into his backyard, he heard a timid whisper: "Papa?"

'Roland!" Robin's smile was as wide as it could get as he held his arms out to his hesitant son. "It's Papa, don't be afraid. I know it's been a long time, but it's really me, I promise."

The sound of his voice seemed to do the trick. Roland rushed into his arms, and Robin held him tightly. Despite the circumstances that had brought him here, he was glad to have his child in his arms again.

"It's all right, my boy," Robin said, attempting to soothe the sobs that his son couldn't suppress. "I'm home, but I won't be here for long. I need to help someone."

"What?" the stunned voice of his mother asked. Robin looked up at her with trepidation, but knew that no matter what, he had to return to Regina and fulfill his promise. He had to make her whole again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry it's been so long since I updated this! There will be four updates this week though, hope you all enjoy them! Credit for the beautiful cover art goes to the lovely hopefulfeathers!**

Robin slowly turned to face his mother. "Mother…"

"Robin John Locksley, you are not leaving this house if your intention is to go straight back to that castle. I need you. More to the point, your _son _needs you. How can you even consider abandoning him for some fool's errand that will do nothing but potentially hurt my only son and the father of my only grandchild both emotionally and physically?"

Robin cleared his throat, not sure how to proceed. How could he convince his mother of Regina's hidden goodness? While he did understand her fear, he knew at his core that he was doing the right thing. Maybe that was the route he should take. After all, there was nothing Ryleigh Locksley believed in more than her son's good heart.

Robin took her hand in his, then began quietly. "Mother, I know that, I do. But she needs me too, in more ways than any of us could possibly imagine, I expect. And you'd never believe it, but she has a soft spot for children-"

"No," his mother declared, her voice like ice. "There is no way on _earth_ you're taking my grandson to that castle. It's far too dangerous, and while you're an adult, and as such, I can't stop you from making ridiculous decisions, he's just a _child_ who's only four years old Robin-"

"And I'm his father," Robin reminded her, his voice rising, thankful that Roland had scampered off long ago to play with his toys. "So if I say something is safe for him, and he wants to go-"

A derisive laugh cut through the air like a knife. "You're not seriously considering giving him a choice in the matter, are you? He's four, Robin, he cannot possibly be included in a decision that regards his safety! And I thought we were raising him together, which means that we make these types of decisions as a unit."

Robin sighed, unsure how to proceed. "There's so much more to her than the monster she appears to be at first glance. If you just came with us and got to know her-"

"Got to know her?" his mother repeated incredulously. "Are you out of your mind? What could possibly persuade me to become acquainted with the beast who held me captive in her dungeon for days before you showed up?"

Robin sighed. He knew what he would do if he didn't manage to procure his mother's blessing, but he would prefer if he obtained it. While he was, of course, an adult who was perfectly capable of making his own decisions, he respected and valued his mother's opinion. However, it seemed that in this particular case, he knew that he was in the right, and he would be following through on his plan whether his mother approved of his actions or not.

To that end, he told her gently, "I know you care about us. But sometimes, I have to do what I feel is best whether you like it or not. And I'm sorry, I truly am, but I feel that this is one of those times."

His mother sighed. "Fine. I can't stop you. But I would still prefer that you not endanger Roland's life like that, and if your plan fails, don't say I didn't warn you."

Robin nodded in acceptance of his mother's terms and turned away. When he had first come up with his plan, he had known that he would face resistance from Ryleigh. The difficult part of the plan for him had always been how to respectfully ensure that his mother did not prevent him from returning to Regina and the others, so it was good that she had accepted his choice enough for that to occur.

Roland's involvement in his quest, however, was a different matter entirely. After what had transpired between himself and the queen before he left, he knew that he would be unable to keep his promise to Emma and help Regina without his son's presence. After all, he had known for a long time that she had a soft spot for children, something that he planned to take full advantage of. While Roland enjoyed tales of animals more than any others, his son shared his loving heart and enjoyed being the hero, the knight in shining armor who fought dragons and rescued damsels in distress. And while if asked, Regina would adamantly deny that she was a damsel in distress, a fact that everyone who knew her would confirm, she was the only one who would deny that she needed help of some kind. And given that Robin knew of her love for children, he suspected that Roland's innocent joy and wonder were exactly the kind of help she needed. Yes, she needed more than that, but Roland was likely the only form of help she would willingly accept for the foreseeable future.

With that in mind, he pondered the details of the complex queen's story, attempting to determine how much he could tell Roland. Nothing that would frighten his young son, of course- after all, Regina was, if anything, someone to be pitied, not someone to be afraid of. But at the same time, Robin had to relay enough information to his son that he would be able to understand that Regina needed help- his help.

He found his son on his bed, hiding beneath a blanket. His heart sank. Roland hated conflict, especially conflict between his father and grandmother, and avoided it at all costs. To see him like this always struck Robin, affecting him to the very core of who he was, especially as a father. It was his responsibility to ensure that Roland was cared for and happy, and while disagreements were an unavoidable part of life, he and his mother tried to keep their voices down and quarrels far from Roland's presence for this exact reason.

He sat on the edge of the bed and whispered softly, "It's all right, son, you can come out now. Then perhaps we can get ready to go to sleep and I'll tell you a story before bed, yeah?"

Roland nodded. As Robin helped bathe and dress his son, he noticed that he still wasn't as energetic as he typically was. Like many children, he was often able to bounce back, but for tonight, it was a good thing that Robin was going to tell Roland what he knew of the truth behind Regina's past.

As he tucked his son in, pulling his covers up to his shoulders, just the way he liked, Robin asked him, "How would you like to hear about a queen and how you can be a knight in shining armor?"

More of his sadness from earlier that evening disappeared as Roland nodded eagerly.

Robin smiled at the sight. Nothing cheered his son more than tales of castles, kings, and knights. "I thought you might."

Taking a breath and choosing his words carefully, he began: "Once upon a time, there was a queen named Regina. But unlike most queens in fairy tales, she didn't want to be queen. The only things that made her happy in the castle were the boy who took care of the horses, Daniel, and the cook, Emma's, son, Henry."

At this point in the story, Roland interrupted. "How old was Henry?"

Robin couldn't help smiling, but it was a small, wistful one that he was sure didn't reach his eyes- not that Roland would notice. "I think he was about your age- four maybe, five or six years old at the most."

Roland's face lit up. "So he was just like me!"

Robin couldn't help grinning at his son's words. "Yes, he was, although I'm sure some parts of his life looked a little different because he grew up in a castle. After all, he had lots of banisters to slide down and different rooms in the castle to explore."

"What are castles like, Papa?" Roland asked.

Robin laughed. He was glad that he had personal experience living in a castle so that he could add more details to his answer, but at the same time, "I thought you would know that already since you've heard so many stories about them."

Roland's answering sigh was so exasperated that he seemed to be triple his age, if not older, and Robin wondered in a fleeting moment of panic what his son's teenage years would be like. "But Papa, the Queen's castle might be different from other castles, so I want to hear about it! Especially since Henry gets to play there."

Robin described the castle in as much detail as possible, using his time as one of its residents to his advantage as he described everything from the kitchen to the castle grounds where Henry had likely played years before.

"But even though Henry played in the castle for years with his mama and papa and Regina and Daniel, those years came to an end far too soon," he informed Roland sadly, and Roland's little face scrunched up, sad for people he had never met. "You see, no one knows who started it, but one year on the queen's birthday, there was a fire. While Regina, Daniel, and everyone else escaped, the queen and Daniel had been playing hide and seek with Henry, and he couldn't hear very well, so he didn't hear them call for him when the fire started. So when everyone else made it out of the castle, Daniel decided to go back in and look for Henry. And it's really sad, but that's where Daniel and Henry's stories end, because Daniel's luck ran out and he wasn't able to escape the burning castle a second time.

"Of course, Regina was really sad, and instead of being a grown-up and handling her sadness in a good way, she was mean to everyone around her, and eventually that mean side of her showed in how she looked." Robin didn't know if he was right, but could imagine these events occurring. He hoped that one day he would learn the truth of how she had turned into her current form, but would never pressure the queen into telling him that information. "So eventually, that mean side of her turned her into a beast- but she wasn't scary, especially around children like you. Just sad.

"So ever since, Queen Regina has been all alone in that big castle, just waiting for a brave boy like like you-"

"Or you!" Roland interjected, beaming proudly at his father.

Robin's answering smile was wistful now. If only it was that simple. But unfortunately, he didn't know if he would ever earn the beautiful queen's trust again, and their relationship- whether platonic or more someday, as he hoped- could go nowhere without that essential quality. But he didn't want his son knowing those details, so he would indulge him. "Or me- to rescue her and help her be the queen she was meant to be."

Roland's sweet little face grew pensive. "Papa, will I really be able to help Queen Regina?"

Robin's smile couldn't have been wider. He loved seeing his son's compassion, as it was a sign that he was growing up to be who Robin had always wanted him to be. "You can. In fact, I think you may be exactly the kind of knight that Queen Regina needs most."

Roland nodded solemnly, his voice eager when he responded, "Then I want to help, Papa! Can I?"

"Of course, my boy," Robin assured him. "In fact, I was thinking that we could leave tomorrow, if you would like."

"YAY!" Roland exclaimed, bouncing up and down.

Robin chuckled, but part of him berated himself for allowing his son to become so excited right before falling asleep. "All right. Now that that's settled, I believe it's time for you to go to sleep. After all, you can't help the queen if you're tired, can you?"

Roland shook his head, burrowing into his blankets obediently. Robin ensured that his blankets were arranged in the way he liked best, then Roland put his arms up like he was holding a bow. He pretended to shoot an arrow at his father's heart. "I love you Papa, sweet dreams," he mumbled, his voice decreasing in volume as his little eyelids drooped.

Robin put his right hand on his heart, then repeated his son's actions, aiming an arrow at his son's heart, then shooting it. "I love you too, sweet dreams," he echoed before leaning down to kiss his son's forehead before walking out of the room, making sure to keep the door cracked so that Roland could see a sliver of light if he woke in the middle of the night.

With that, he headed to his room, as he needed to begin preparations for the following day. He began to pack a couple of Roland's favorite books and toys that were scattered throughout their house, making sure to include plenty of clothes as well, then moved on to his own things, ensuring that he had everything he needed. Clothes, nonperishable food for the journey, and a few of his favorite books that he had missed while he was away were all tucked away into a bag, ready for the next morning.

As he stood in front of his guitar wondering if playing music would help Regina in any way, he heard his mother at the threshold of his room.

When she knocked on the doorframe he turned toward her. Her eyebrows were raised as she took in the full bag already at his side, and she was clearly upset with him as she stated, "You don't waste any time. And I can see how many bags you've packed, so I'm guessing that you won't be the only one risking your life on this trip?"

Robin shook his head, fearing what his mother would say next. "I promise you, I _will _protect him."

"And yourself?" Ryleigh retorted skeptically. "Where's my guarantee that you'll protect yourself from that monster? Because somehow, I suspect that you wear rose-colored glasses where she's concerned, and therefore you're reckless with your own well-being. Can you honestly tell me that she won't hurt you? Because that's all that the beast I met ever seemed to do: hurt others in any way she could."

Robin shook his head. "I understand and appreciate your concern, but I believe that I know Regina well enough that I can safely say that she won't harm me." He remembered his last conversation with the queen, and considered rephrasing his last statement. But the less his mother knew about his interactions with Regina, the less she would worry- for now, at least. "I have truly seen a different side to her, Mum. She's not as horrible as you seem to believe, I promise. She's complicated, perhaps, but not evil."

She nodded and walked away. Robin finished packing and went to sleep as quickly as possible, knowing that he would need his strength for whatever the next day would bring.

**Prompts from OQ Prompt Party 2020 included in this chapter: 231 (one of Robin's friends doesn't like Regina), 195 (knight in shining armor), and 54 (Robin playing guitar for Regina). Hope you enjoyed this, and let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Huge thank you to RegalPixieDust for betaing this!**

After getting Roland ready for their journey (which of course the little boy insisted on calling a quest) and packing clothes for him the next morning, they prepared to leave.

As Robin lifted Roland onto Philippe, Ryleigh came outside to see them off. By that time, Robin had already started to mount the horse that would carry them to the castle, so all she could reach was his thigh, but she put her hand on it nonetheless. "_Be careful_," she warned, her voice more adamant than he had ever heard it before. Robin could tell that she was doing all that she could not to scare Roland, but at the same time wanted to ensure that her son and grandson took care of themselves. "You know what dangers lurk in that castle even better than I do, and you're taking the only family I have left there. I'd like to see you both return, please, preferably as soon as possible."

Robin couldn't help smiling, confident that his mother had nothing to worry about. And it seemed that Roland agreed, as he chimed in, "Don't worry, we're just saving Queen Regina!"

"You're just saving Queen Regina, are you?" Ryleigh asked, and though it was strained, Robin saw the corners of her mouth twitch upward into something resembling a smile as she took in the confident boy before her. She looked directly into Roland's dark eyes (_so much like his mother's_ Robin couldn't help thinking) and told him, "I'm counting on you to keep your papa safe for me, all right? Both of you need to come home to me after you save the queen."

"I will!" Roland declared, beaming at her. He leaned toward her (not without Robin grabbing his coat to ensure that he didn't fall) to gave her a hug, and once he was once more securely seated on the saddle and holding the reins, they left.

On the way out of town, Roland asked, "Papa, can we get a new book for Queen Regina?"

Grinning, Robin nodded as he directed Philippe toward the bookstore. "I think you should get a book for you to read together- Regina would really like that."

"Yeah!" Roland readily agreed. So when they entered the bookstore, Robin directed his son to the children's section. After much deliberation, with Roland running from one book to the next asking things like, "Do you think she'd like this one, Papa?" and "Yuck, kissing, that one is for girls," they finally settled on a book and walked up to Belle, who was standing at the register, to pay for it.

When she saw Robin, the bookstore's owner smiled. "Hello, Robin. It's been a long time since I've seen you come in- the store's been lonely without you. How are you?"

Thinking of all that had transpired since he last saw her, Robin smiled. "Good, but busy. Truthfully, I haven't been in town much at all."

As Roland handed her the book they had chosen, Belle smiled down at his son. "And how are you, Roland? I love the book you picked. In fact, it's a classic- I'm surprised you don't have it."

"We do!" he eagerly assured her. "This is for Papa's friend. She needs me to help her not be lonely anymore."

"Does she?" Belle asked, a pensive look on her face. "Well, this is the perfect book to help someone not feel lonely, so I hope your papa's friend likes it."

With Roland's parting comment ("Don't worry, she will!"), they exited the shop and almost ran into Zelena.

"Robbie!" she exclaimed. "I was expecting to find a new cookbook here, not your devilishly handsome face! How are you? I haven't seen you lately, where have you been hiding that gorgeous head of yours? Not in some book, I hope."

"As a matter of fact, I haven't," Robin informed her. "I've been doing some traveling."

Zelena dismissed the activity with a scoffed, "Why on earth would you ever want to travel? Everything you need," here she batted her eyelashes flirtatiously, leaving Robin with no doubts as to the true meaning of her words, "is right here."

Robin shook his head. "You fail to see that that's the difference between us, Zelena. You're perfectly content to live the small town life, while I've always dreamed of adventure."

""Yeah, like saving Queen Regina!" Roland chimed in.

Zelena's eyebrows rose as she turned to his son. "Saving a queen? You're in over your head, Robin. Soon you'll realize that everything you need is right here, and you'll be back where you belong- with me."

Robin couldn't help laughing at her words as he compared the shallow woman before him to the complex woman who had captured his attention long before he even met her. "I highly doubt that, Zelena. Now if you'll excuse us, we have somewhere to be."

"Wait!" she called after him. "Robin, I-" But Robin ignored her as they rode away.

For the duration of their journey, Robin's arms were wrapped tightly around Roland as he led the horse to their destination. On the way they sang songs and told stories until finally, Roland was sound asleep, leaning against Robin for the last leg of the trip.

Once they arrived, Robin expected Regina to come storming out, demanding to know why he had returned. Instead, Emma, Killian, Baelfire, and the rest of the castle staff made their way out to greet them.

Glancing at his son, Robin saw Roland's eyes grow wide. He hadn't told his son about the magical aspect of the castle so that he would sleep, and judging by his facial expression, he had been right to do so.

Robin made introductions, and when he had finished, Roland blurted out, "Are you all magical or cursed?"

All of the adults tried to hide their answering grins with no success. "We are," Baelfire replied. Robin knew the man-turned-candelabrum just well enough to see the hidden pain in his eyes as he considered the child before him. He was likely thinking of his own son's tragic end, and Robin couldn't help feeling sympathy for his friend. If anything happened to Roland, he didn't know what he would do. It was the same sentiment that had fueled his understanding of his mother's concerns the night before, but he was certain that while Regina may strongly dislike him on occasion, there wasn't a single cell in her body that could ever turn Roland away. The love with which she had spoken of Henry on the anniversary of his passing and the fact that she had spared his life once she learned of his young son had shown him that her love of children ran deep, a part of her that would never fade no matter how much time passed.

Speaking of Regina, she was walking toward them now, her gait at a reasonable pace, but Robin could see the frustration brewing in her eyes.

He waited for her first words with bated breath. Would she turn them away? Did he disobey his mother's wishes for nothing? He was about to find out.

Regina observed the group before her, her eyes blazing when she caught sight of Robin. How _dare _he show his face at her castle after what he did? She conjured a fireball- which had always been her specialty- but immediately extinguished the flames when she saw the little boy with dark curls that at the sight of her favorite form of fire was cowering in his father's arms, his face tucked into Robin's chest. While she hated the man with the fire of a thousand suns, that was never a good enough reason to frighten his child.

"It's all right," she said softly. "I'm sorry I scared you, but I promise, I would never do anything to hurt you."

"She wouldn't," Robin confirmed, gently stroking his son's back and curls. "Remember, I told you about her last night."

At last, the child's head lifted and he turned toward her. His complexion, eyes and hair were much darker than his father's- likely inherited from his mother. But when he smiled shyly, dimples winking at her in the light of the setting sun, she knew immediately that they had at least that feature in common, and there was a part of her that secretly despised that. While she suspected that she would never be able to resist his son (after all, he already reminded her too much of Henry) Robin's dimples and smile were something that she both despised and couldn't entirely resist in equal measures.

Roland's eyes were alight with excitement when he asked, "Are you Queen Regina?"

She smiled. "Yes, I am. But you can just call me Regina. What's your name?"

"Roland!" he exclaimed before he eagerly continued, "My papa said that I can help you not be sad and be your knight in shining armor!"

She glared at the infuriating man before refocusing her attention on his son. "I don't know, maybe. But no matter what, you can be my little knight. How does that sound?"

"Yay!" he rejoiced, bouncing on the horse, making their belongings jostle and the horse snort.

His father set him down and Regina gestured to where the others were watching them. "I bet if you follow Killian, you'll be able to find somewhere to stay while you're here while I talk to your Papa for a moment. Does that sound like a good idea?"

Roland nodded, turning to her staff. Killian waddled forward and led him into the castle while Regina rerouted her attention to Robin now that his son was out of earshot. "What exactly do you think you're doing here? I thought I made it perfectly clear that you were not to set foot here again. Dark curls and dimples won't erase the damage that horrendous book did- or the fact that you had it at all."

"Maybe not, but I know you love children, and while I'm not trying to replace Henry by any means, I did think that my son might make you smile again," he told her.

She shook her head. This man was a hopeless case. "Why do I even bother with you?" she thought, and it wasn't until he responded, his voice strong and sure, that she realized she had spoken aloud.

"You know you'd miss my face too much if you didn't."

She let out a derisive laugh. Cheeky, this one. If his son didn't reside in this castle, she would maybe throw a fireball at him for that remark. "No. No, I definitely wouldn't. In fact, there are times that I wish I had never even met you! You're constantly arguing with me and you're so optimistic that you completely ignore any comment based on reality. And don't even get me started about the mess you leave in the bathroom or the snoring I can hear from all the way down the hall if I happen to take a walk in the middle of the night." She said this with such force that she hoped her point would finally penetrate his thick head and he would leave her in peace.

He seemed to relent just a little, commenting, "And that may be true, but you have to admit, you would miss arguing with me if you sent me away again. Who else in this castle has the courage to stand up to you?"

She had to admit that he had a point there. While there had been a time that the staff had been the closest thing she had to friends, that had gradually changed over time. She had pushed them away one by one until they avoided her as much as they could. Yet she suspected that they still cared for her despite the things she had done- her birthday this year had shown her that if nothing else.

Speaking of her birthday, she had learned something else this year as well. And thinking of those memories now cut through her heart like a well-sharpened knife. She had thought that he genuinely cared for her that night, that maybe it was time for her to start letting people in again. But people her age were all the same: judgemental jerks who didn't deserve her time or attention.

His son, however… Robin had clearly shared some of her story with him, and oddly enough, she found that she didn't mind in the slightest. It had likely made an enthralling bedtime story for him, one full of action and adventure even if it did end tragically.

At last, she answered him, "At one point, you'd be surprised at the number of people who did."

"Nonsense," he refuted. "I've always thought that the evil moniker didn't suit you. Bold and audacious, perhaps, but not evil. If I thought you truly were the queen depicted in those horrible stories, I never would have brought my son here. Face it: I'm not going anywhere. And there may be times that you'll be at least reluctantly grateful for that, because I'll never leave you- you're never going to suffer by yourself again, I promise."

"All right, fine, you and your son can stay," she grumbled reluctantly. "But I won't be so gracious again. This is the last time, make it good."

With that, they headed into the castle, Regina anxious to see what the next days would bring.

**OQ Prompt Party prompts included in this chapter: 231, 195, 13, 252, 205, 251, and 174. Hope you enjoyed this, let me know what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

Once they were inside, Emma came up to them and asked Robin, "Have you eaten yet? I would have asked Roland, but he seems like a boy who would eat anything if it was placed in front of him."

"He is," Robin laughed. "But we haven't eaten, so if you're offering, dinner would be nice."

"Not a problem," Emma reassured him. She turned to Regina. "Would you like to-"

But before she could finish her question, Regina had walked off, her quick gait indicating that though she had allowed them to stay, she wasn't entirely happy about it.

Robin glanced at his friends. "I made the right decision in coming back, right? I know I promised I would, and I do think that Roland's presence will help her, but I don't want to upset her either."

"She's likely just overwhelmed at the moment," Baelfire sagely pointed out. "Give her time, she'll come around."

The three of them walked into the kitchen, where Killian and Roland were waiting for them. As dinner was prepared and eaten, Robin reflected on how much he enjoyed being back. Though there were those like his mother and Zelena who would never understand why he had returned, the castle had become his home in the short time he had lived there. The staff- and Regina, though she wouldn't admit it- were like his family. Emma was the mother of them all, Killian the younger brother who always got into everything. Baelfire… he didn't know where Baelfire fit in their family dynamic. There were times that he was like Killian: a younger brother wanting nothing more than fun and adventure. But there was a more practical, compassionate side of him, indicating that a part of his personality was more mature. And Regina, at her core, was the member of the family who was just misunderstood.

Thinking of the trials Regina had faced, Robin turned his attention to his young son. Though he knew it may be difficult for her to be around him, he hoped that Roland would help her emotional wounds heal. She was consumed by her past, but hopefully Roland would help her escape the despair that she so often got lost in.

After they had cleaned up, Roland asked, "Papa, can we play a game?"

"Of course," Robin readily agreed. "What game would you like to play?"

Regina secretly watched from around the corner as Roland's face lit up. "I wanna be a knight in shining armor, Papa!"

"Oh do you?" his father asked, a twinkle in his eye.

As he started toward his son, Roland did the same, using a spoon as his sword. "I'm going to defeat you, evil dragon! You'll never hurt the queen again!" he claimed.

Regina couldn't hide her grin as Robin scooped his son up and settled him on his back. "How about you get to ride one instead?"

Roland giggled, holding on to his father's neck as Robin ran around the room.

Regina was torn. Should she join them, or remain in the shadows? His son was adorable, so much so that she knew eventually she wouldn't be able to resist his charm. At the same time, though, she had learned firsthand that she was never meant to have a happy ending. If Roland made his way into her heart (which he was already starting to do), it was likely that something bad would inevitably happen to him. And she couldn't bear the thought of yet another little boy being hurt. The thought of losing him like she had lost Henry and Daniel was unbearable.

However, when it looked like Robin was starting to run out of breath, Regina could no longer resist joining them and stepped out of the shadows. "Sir Roland! Can you rescue me? The dragon's had me trapped in his cave for so long, and I don't know what to do!"

Roland's eyes grew wide. "I'll save you Queen Regina!"

He resumed battling the "dragon", who at last set Roland down and pretended to collapse on the floor, clutching his heart. "You stabbed me, Sir Roland!" he gasped. "What do I do now?"

"True love's kiss can save you and break the curse!" Roland exclaimed. He turned to Regina. "Which means you can save him, Queen Regina!"

Regina and Robin's eyes widened simultaneously. "I don't know, Sir Roland," Regina warned him doubtfully. "I doubt even a love potion can persuade me to kiss a dragon."

It was at that moment that Regina fully realized just how adorable Roland was. His pout and puppy eyes were enough to make even a frozen heart melt. "Please, Queen Regina?" he begged, hands clasped under his chin.

She sighed and looked toward Robin. Their eyes locked, and he nodded. Had he _planned_ this? Well, even if he hadn't, she wasn't going to play along- not fully, anyway.

She knelt and leaned forward, close enough to Robin now that she could smell his signature pine scent that she remembered from her birthday. Her lips came just close enough to his forehead to fool Roland, who clapped and cheered, jumping up and down as Robin stood. "Yay! The curse on the king is broken, and he and the queen can live happily ever after!"

Regina's heart sank. It was evident that like his father, Roland believed in happy endings, and she braced herself for the endless stream of hope and happy endings that would surely come her way in the near future. But maybe she could tweak things to her advantage.

"What about the queen and her little knight?" she asked, smiling down at him. "Do they live happily ever after? Because he's even better than that stuffy old king."

Robin looked offended, but at the same time, he had such a gentle expression as he looked at them that somehow, Regina knew he didn't mind her bonding with his son. "Stuffy? Old? Surely, you'll defend my honor, Sir Roland! I'm not boring or old, am I?"

"You're not boring!" Roland exclaimed, and Robin smirked at her. "But you are kind of old," he added.

Now it was Regina's turn to smirk as she started laughing harder than she had in a long time. She hadn't laughed this hard since Henry-

Suddenly, her good mood evaporated. How could she even tolerate being around Robin and Roland, _especially_ Robin, when she had lost the one man she had ever loved and the boy who had captured her heart so long ago?

Looking at the pair before her, Regina knew that despite the constant reminders of Henry he would bring, she would never be able to turn Roland away. She had always had a soft spot in her heart for children, and despite his parentage, Roland was no exception.

His father, however, was a different story. As Roland yawned and stretched, Robin lifted him and inquired, "Do you have any of Henry's old books that I could read to Roland?"

Dreading the moment when Roland was in bed and she was left alone with no one but his father (and the staff, she supposed) for company, she reached for Roland. "Do you mind?" she asked.

He shook his head, and with that motion, thin arms were wrapping around her neck and spindly legs attaching themselves to her hips. She had forgotten what it was like to hold a boy this small, and she hadn't realized until Roland was in her arms just how much she had missed it. He was still young enough to have that fresh scent that only the youngest children possessed, and as she cradled him against her, his curls were so soft that she couldn't resist running her fingers through them.

"Can I show you one of the best rooms in the whole castle?" she asked him.

"Yes!" he shouted.

He squirmed with excitement, and she set him down, taking his hand. Smiling down at the adorable child beside her, she led him along two corridors, turning right and left before she led him up a short flight of steps and stopped in front of a set of tall double doors.

Turning, she noticed that Robin had followed them. Refocusing her attention on the boy holding her hand, she asked, "Are you ready, Roland?"

He nodded eagerly, so she pulled the doors open and led him inside, looking anxiously at his face to gauge his reaction.

To her relief, he didn't disappoint. His eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open at the sight of the large room before them, every nook and cranny filled with shelves as tall as the ceiling. Every inch of those shelves was filled with books, and looking at his awed expression, she was glad she had brought Roland here.

He tore his eyes away from the vision before him to ask her, "You have your very own library?!"

She smiled, his giddiness at this revelation something that she found adorable. "I do. And there's a special section with lots of books that I think you'll love."

She led him to the far corner, where shorter shelving housed all of the children's books that the castle contained. Though she hadn't been able to bear coming to this part of the library in the last decade, she saw to her surprise that others had come to clean the space. When she had last been here, the floor had been covered in books, each discarded once it had been read to the little boy with hazel eyes who had been her favorite of the castle's occupants. Apparently one of the staff had come to clean up in the years since then, though, and although she was glad it was no longer a mess, if it had been Emma, she would never know how the other woman had done it. Though she wasn't Henry's biological mother, she still missed him terribly every day, and though she knew Emma did too, she was able to look past her pain in a way that Regina didn't think she could.

Roland ran over to the shelves to start picking a book to read, leaving a smiling Regina in his wake. Much like Henry had so long ago, he began pulling out every book on the shelves, glancing at the cover before discarding it on the floor around him.

Robin stepped forward, likely to clean up the mess his son had made, but Regina reached out to stop him. "It's fine, we'll make sure he doesn't fall on them, and that's all that matters."

Robin gave her a strange look she couldn't define, then nodded.

They watched as Roland perused book after book before triumphantly holding two aloft. "These two!" he declared. "Can you read them to me, Queen Regina?"

She nodded. "Here, let me show you one of the best places to read in the whole castle!"

She led him to a nearby window, where a window seat offered a picturesque view of the surrounding grounds and forest beyond. He eagerly clambered up on the seat, kneeling so he could see more of the nearby landscape. "You can see the whole forest from here!" he shouted, turning eagerly to his father to share his discovery. "Papa, look!"

"I see, my boy," Robin acknowledged. "Now, why don't you let Regina read you the stories you picked so you can go to sleep, yeah?"

Regina grinned mischievously. It was apparent that Robin had had a long day and wanted nothing more than to go to bed himself. "Go to sleep, I'll put him in bed- that is, if you want me to, of course," she offered. This was the ultimate test of how much he trusted her and saw the person, not the monster, in her. Yes, he had brought his son here, but did he think she was human enough to leave his son alone with her?

He nodded. "Thank you."

He approached his son, and they did a routine that had clearly been perfected over the years. Regina felt like an intruder on such a private moment, and as Robin seemed to aim an arrow at his son's heart, Regina looked down at the books Roland had selected, and although her heart ached at the sight of one of them, she immediately knew why Roland had chosen it. It was one of the many versions of the tales of Robin Hood, and judging by what she had seen of their bedtime routine, the legendary thief was a frequent hero in Roland's bedtime stories. She wondered what other stories Roland had grown up with, and how similar they were to the ones they had read to Henry.

_Regina, stop thinking about him_, she scolded herself. _Do you want to worry Roland?_

The answer to that question was no, of course, so she quickly cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. Just in time, too, because no sooner had she dried her tears than she felt tiny fingers tug at her dress.

"Can we read the stories now, Queen Regina?" Roland's sweet voice pleaded.

"Of course, sweetheart," she told him. "But I have something very important to tell you first."

"What?" he asked.

"You don't need to always call me Queen Regina," she responded. "You can just call me Regina, like your Papa does- or even Gina."

His eyes widened. "Really? But you're the queen, you're one of the most special people ever!"

"Can I tell you a little secret?" she whispered conspiratorily. At his eager nod, she leaned down and whispered, "Sometimes Queens want to be regular people just like you!" before tickling him running her fingers through his curls.

Next she tried to guide him toward the window seat. He was too quick for her though, climbing up before she even noticed he had vanished from her side.

She laughed and sat beside him, picking him up before settling him on her lap. "Which story are we reading first?"

As she had suspected, the book of Robin Hood tales was placed in front of her, and she laughed. "Do you like Robin Hood because he has the same name as your papa?"

Roland nodded vigorously. "_And_ he steals from the rich to give to the poor! Papa and Mummum say that stealing is wrong, but what Robin did is good because he helped people."

"He did," Regina responded quietly, thinking about how she had met this family. If she remembered correctly, the ball that had led to Robin's mother's imprisonment was for the boy cuddled close to her now, and looking down at his innocent face, there was a part of her that was almost sorry she had imprisoned his grandmother… almost.

As they read the stories Roland had chosen, Regina realized just how bright he was. He was just old enough that he was able to sound out some of the smaller words, and it was clear that Robin had made his son's education a priority. Despite her better judgement, as she and Roland read together (which gradually turned into Regina reading to him as his eyelids began to close), Regina found herself reliving the last time she had read this same book with Henry…

_"Gina, Gina, come read me a bedtime story! Please?" Henry begged, a stack of books clutched under his arm._

_Regina glanced at Emma. Despite what the slightly older cook had insisted over the years, she was always hesitant to assume that she could intrude on what she saw as a precious opportunity for bonding time between parents and their children. _

_At her nod and accompanying smile, Regina walked beside Henry as he skipped to the library. While he ran to choose a book (with her cry of "Be careful, Henry!" following after him), she went to their window seat and waited. At last, Henry trotted over to her, his face hidden behind a tower of books. _

_She laughed. "Henry, you didn't have to choose so many books. We can read some of them tomorrow, if you want."_

_"But tomorrow's your birthday," he pointed out. "I want you to pick the books we read tomorrow."_

_She smiled. Henry was by far one of the best people of any age she had ever met. He always thought of others before himself, and the moments when he displayed that trait were some of the moments when she was most thankful for him. Throughout her life, her mother, and then the king, had never allowed her a say in decisions, and as a result, she was even more thankful for every time someone sought her opinion on an issue. Her father had tried when she was younger, but he had never had the willpower to stand up against her power-hungry mother. "Are you sure?"_

_"Yeah!" _

_"All right, then," she replied, putting the books to the side and pulling him into her lap. He was small for his age, and she was thankful for it because she knew she would be crushed when he got too heavy to do this. "What book are we reading first?"_

_"Robin Hood!" he cheered._

_She smiled. Of course the generous hero would be his first choice- it was one of his favorites, after all. _

_She picked up the green book, opened it to the first page, and began, "Once upon a time…"_

Tears fell from dark chocolate eyes as Regina closed the book and she quickly dried them before she picked up Roland, who had fallen halfway through the book, likely exhausted after the exciting day he had had.

Cradling him against her chest, she walked out of the library and thought about where he would sleep. Henry's old room was the most logical choice- after all, that room already contained everything a child Roland's age would need. But the more important question was: could she enter it for the first time since the fire without getting lost in the memories of that day- especially since she had already been thinking about it? Everything in her screamed that she had no desire to relive those memories, but at the same time, she prided herself on being a strong, independent woman. She could handle this.

By the time she had made her decision, she had reached the room in question. Thankfully, it wasn't far from the room Emma had given Robin, so as long as she told someone where he was, Roland would be fine.

Bracing herself, Regina opened the door that still had Henry's name written in large crimson letters on the door. Inside, she immediately noticed that unlike his corner of the library, Henry's room had been barely touched. It was clean enough to walk (which was better than Regina remembered it being when Henry was alive), but otherwise, it was much as Regina remembered it. Sky blue walls that uncannily reflected the softness of the boy who had lived here, a corner that housed all of his toys, and a bed that was just Roland's size that was covered in a blue blanket. Underneath, Regina found sheets that she herself had made him: blue with the heros from his favorite stories covering them. While she was no seamstress, she had known enough magic at that point to make Henry's dream of having these sheets a reality.

She placed Roland in the bed and as she did, noticed Henry's favorite stuffed animal: a version of Robin Hood that was a fox instead of a person (which she would never understand), and knowing how much the thief meant to both the father and son currently residing in her castle, she tucked him into Roland's arms. He immediately pulled the fox closer, holding him tightly, and though her heart ached at the memories this room brought to mind, she was glad that another little boy was calling this room his.

She left the room and cracked the door behind her, relieved that the venture had occurred without incident, but if she knew herself, she had a sinking feeling that the memories the events of tonight had brought to mind would come back to haunt her eventually.

When Roland woke, he was still so sleepy, so he kept his eyes shut. Finally he decided that he couldn't ignore the brightness that he could see, so he squinted and saw a bright blue ball of light, a blue that matched the walls that he could just barely make out behind the light.

There was a part of Roland that thought he should be afraid of the ball of light in front of him, but there was something about it that told him that this light wasn't actually scary at all. Finally, he asked in a whisper, "Who are you?"

The ball of light began bouncing up and down all around him. It started going toward the door, and Roland knew right away that it wanted him to follow it.

He threw back the covers and walked toward the light, which was now waiting at the door. Once Roland opened it, they were in a hallway that Roland didn't remember seeing the day before. He must have fallen asleep during his bedtime story, and Gina, like any good mama, had carried him to the room where he had been sleeping.

He followed the light down the hall and around the corner and down some steps. Roland kept following the light for so long that he started to feel tired again until finally, after they had made one last left turn, he discovered they were back at the library.

He tried to open the door, but it was too heavy. Sighing in defeat, he saw the light in front of him again, and he waited to see what it would do.

It disappeared into a keyhole, and Roland worried for a minute until he heard a knob turn and the door creak open.

The blue ball was waiting for him on the other side. It led him back to the spot in the library where all the kids' books were kept, and once they were there, the ball paused. It seemed to want to make sure that he was okay, so Roland nodded and smiled shyly. He had never had an adventure like the ones in his stories before, and so far, he loved this one, but he didn't know what he needed to do next.

After he nodded, the blue ball slowly grew and finally, Roland realized that the bright blue ball of light was actually the ghost of a boy just like him with hazel eyes and brown hair. He remembered the story his papa had told him and whispered, "Henry?"

The ghost tilted his head in confusion and said, his voice a little loud, "I can't hear well, can you say that again please? That's part of why we're here, I didn't want the grown-ups to hear us."

"Are you Henry?" Roland asked again, his voice louder this time.

The ghost nodded eagerly, confirming that his guess was right. "Yeah! How do you know who I am?"

"My papa told me about you," Roland said. "He said you used to live here with Gina and Daniel and your mama and papa."

Henry nodded again. "Yeah!" He smiled. "I'm glad she lets you call her Gina too, she used to only let me call her that."

"Does she know you're here?" Roland asked.

Henry shook his head sadly. "After the fire, she got so sad and angry that she was scary, so I hid. I've been waiting for another kid to come-"

"Hey, that's me!" Roland exclaimed.

Henry nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I think together, we can help her. I know your daddy's been trying, and it works sometimes, but she always likes kids most, so she needs us. But I do think that if any grown-up can love her and make her happy, it's your daddy."

Roland nodded wisely. "Yeah! He's really good at that."

"Good, then I was right, we should get them to fall in love to break the curse- true love's kiss can fix anything!" Henry said. "But I think your daddy loves Gina already, so here's what we need to do…"

**This chapter contains prompts 25, 194, 195, 242, and 246 from OQ Prompt Party 2020. Hope you enjoyed this, let me know what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

**This chapter contains a couple of trigger warnings, which, due to not wanting to give away spoilers, can be found in the prompts at the end of the chapter.**

After she carried Roland to Henry's room (_Roland's_, she needed to think of it as his or she may never survive him being here), Regina made it to the balcony of her room before the memories overwhelmed her, every detail a knife cutting so deeply into her heart that she doubted she could survive it. She had hoped that she could keep them at bay, but Roland's request for the same book that she had read to Henry on their last night together had brought the recollections of their last moments rushing back as swiftly as rapids, so she had been fighting them the entire time she was reading to him. Despite her best efforts, when she reached her balcony Regina could no longer fight it, and the waves of the past came crashing down around her...

_"Ready?" Daniel asked Henry and Regina, both on the balls of their feet ready to run._

_They nodded, and as they did, Daniel closed his eyes and began to count: "Sixty, fifty-nine, fifty-eight…"_

_Regina and Henry sprinted for the hall, heading in different directions when they could so Daniel would spend longer looking for them. Once she felt she was far enough away, Regina slowed down. Where would Daniel never think to look for her?_

_At last she thought of the perfect place: the king's old room. Daniel knew how much she had despised him, so that would be the last place he would think of to look for her. _

_With trepidation, she entered the room, reminding herself the whole time that Leopold was no longer alive to torment her. Her eyes immediately darted away from the bed and landed on the closet. Perfect._

_She opened the wooden doors, all the while trying to be as silent as she could so Daniel wouldn't discover her whereabouts. The closet had been aired out and Leopold's belongings removed in the years since his death at her command, but somehow she still had to pinch her nose at the stench that still permeated the enclosed space. _

_Several minutes later she heard Daniel looking for her, and she held her breath as his footsteps paused at the entrance to Leopold's room. She remained silent as she heard him enter, listening as he walked around the room, moving furniture around as he searched._

_Finally, right when he was just beyond the doors of the wardrobe, she felt a sneeze coming, likely due to dust that had gathered in the last few years. Though she tried to stifle it, the sneeze burst forth with her cry of "Ah-ah-ah-CHOO!"_

_Laughing, Daniel opened the door. "You didn't think there'd be dust in here? I never thought a sneeze would give you away, but if you're going to hide in this closet…"_

_"Give me a break, all right?" she pouted. "I didn't think you'd think to look for me in here, so I thought it was a good hiding place."_

_"To be fair, I did think that if either of you were going to be in here, it'd be Henry," he acknowledged. "But that does make sense. Now let's go search for him."_

_But their casual search turned into a desperate hunt the instant they reentered the hall. The strong scene of smoke permeated the air, and fearing a fire, they exchanged panicked glances before grasping each other's hands and racing to find Henry. While others would have told them to save themselves first, they knew that neither of them would forgive themselves if they left the helpless child they loved to fend for himself. He was only five, after all- if anything happened to him, it would crush both of their hearts forever. _

_"HENRY!" they took turns shouting. "WHERE ARE YOU?" _

_A few minutes later, after they had both acquired burns from flames flying in the air around them, they had to admit defeat. Regina would have searched longer (her fear for Henry completely eclipsed any concern she had for herself) but the smoke was clouding the air around them, so any further efforts would have been in vain. They exited the castle via a secret side entrance they had discovered long ago to find the other occupants of the castle outside. To their dismay, Henry wasn't among them._

_"Y-you didn't s-see H-Henry, did you?" a frantic Regina asked Emma, coughing as she spoke. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted various people trying to extinguish the fire, but to no avail._

_To her horror, the cook shook her head, blonde curls swaying as she did. "No. We all thought he was with the two of you."_

_"I'll go look for him," Daniel declared, and was about to go before Regina tightened her grip on his hand and pulled him back. "Don't you dare," she warned him. "I can't even contemplate the idea of losing both of you."_

_But the next thing she knew, Daniel had kissed her fervently, whispered, "I love you, Regina- if I don't make it out, love again," then ripped his hand out of hers so hard that it stung and was sprinting back to the castle._

_"NO!" Regina screamed, tears bright in her eyes at his last words. "DANIEL BENJAMIN COLTER, GET BACK HERE!" But he didn't listen. _

_"Don't worry, Your Majesty, he'll be fine," Killian assured her, but she could tell that his words were empty ones. While the fire had diminished enough that not all of the castle would be affected, flames were still leaping into the sky from the wing where the fire began- which was also where they had been playing hide and seek._

_Sure enough, though they kept watch through the night while the fire was being eradicated, Daniel never reappeared with Henry. At last, the flames were extinguished and they were allowed to reenter the building, and Regina raced inside, dread overwhelming her as she searched for the two people she loved most in the world. _

_Before she could find them, though, she heard Emma call her name. Turning, she saw the cook running toward her. Panting when she stopped, the cook gasped, "Regina, you can stop searching. I've found them."_

_"I need to find them, I need to see if-" Regina began, but Emma put a hand on her shoulder, tears flowing down her cheeks. _

_"Regina, there's nothing you can do," she whispered. "They're gone."_

_"Don't be stupid, Miss Swan," she sneered. "There's always something," she protested. "There has to be!" Her mother had been a powerful sorceress. Maybe something in one of her old spellbooks would help her._

_Her mother had also told her that loving anyone was a form of weakness, and she had been right. There was a gaping hole in her chest that had once held her love for Daniel and Henry. Now that they were gone, she didn't know what to do._

_"Fine," Emma said, her voice like icicles. "I'll leave you alone. But don't forget that my son died tonight. Despite what you think, you aren't going through this alone."_

By this time, Regina was shaking as she clutched the edge of her balcony, her sobs wracking her body as tears streamed down her face. It was as if no time had passed since Daniel and Henry's deaths, the fear for their lives as real as it had been on that fateful day that had changed her life- changed _her_\- forever.

Unfortunately, her mind wasn't finished with her yet. No, it had another memory to torment her with, because the first wasn't horrible enough…

_Regina had just ripped out another villager's heart. The oaf had trampled her flowers, and while she normally wouldn't care, she, Daniel, and Henry had planted that particular bed with the help of the gardener, Anton._

_"I- I didn't see them, Your Majesty, I didn't mean to do it," the man stammered, his voice trembling with fear. Clearly, he had heard about her habits since the fire and was trying to save himself._

_His efforts were in vain, however, for a second later, she had crushed his heart and he fell to the floor, turning pale as life left him._

_There was a sudden knock on the main doors of the castle, and she barked, "Baelfire, go get it!" But there was no answer, so she went to answer it herself. _

_She opened the door to find a short woman whose head was bowed, her features hidden beneath a navy cloak. _

_"Please, Your Majesty," she asked. "Would you be kind enough to offer me shelter for the evening? I've lost my way in the woods, and my home is too far away to return before nightfall. All I can offer in return is this simple mirror that has been in my family for generations."_

_Filled with pent-up frustration, Regina shouted, "What do you people think this is, some kind of inn? All I want is to be left alone in peace, so why can't you just LEAVE ME ALONE?!"_

_Instead of cowering in fear, as she had expected her to, the woman before her began to transform. Suddenly, a beautiful woman stood before her, the wings at her back revealing that she was a fairy._

_"Who are you?" Regina asked, her tone much more respectful than it had been._

_"It doesn't matter," the fairy said, brushing her question aside as if it was an annoying fly. "What matters is that I've seen who you've become in the last year, and I don't like it at all. You're so much better than this, Regina."_

_"What does it matter to you?" Regina snapped. "It's none of your business. And how dare you address me so informally? It's 'Your Majesty.'"_

_"Ah, but I'm your fairy godmother, so it __**is**_ _my business," the mysterious fairy informed her. "I want you to find happiness instead of wallowing in self-pity and taking it out on everyone you meet, and I'm here to help you do that."_

_"And how do you think you're going to do that?" the queen scoffed. "There's no such thing as a love potion that can truly substitute for the real thing. And I don't __**want **__to love again. I've already learned the lesson that love is weakness, so there's no point in making me try- not if you care about my happiness as much as you claim you do."_

_Her fairy godmother smiled sadly at her words. "Love is the opposite of weakness. It's strength," she stated, and all Regina could do was glare at her. "Besides, a love potion isn't exactly what I had in mind."_

_With that, Regina felt the fairy's magic swirling around her. Once it cleared, she felt more than just the burns on her body- there were parts of her that felt like they had sprouted hair. Putting her hand up to her cheek, she discovered that the parts of her that weren't scarred by burns from the fire were now covered in a fur that matched her hair. Pieces of her fingers were now claws, her hands, like the rest of her, covered in both burns and dark fur. _

_"What have you done?!" she screamed, her voice seeming too much like the roar of a beast for her liking._

_All the meddling fairy did was smile, clearly pleased with herself. "I've made sure that you can find love again."_

_"Find love again?!" she repeated incredulously. "How am I supposed to find love again when I look like this?"_

_"I think you already know the answer," the fairy replied calmly. "By becoming a version of the person you once were."_

_Regina laughed condescendingly. "You really think I can go back to being that naive girl again? She died a long time ago."_

_"Well, you may not be a girl anymore," her fairy godmother acknowledged. "But the capacity to love that that girl had is still there, I know it. You just needed a helping hand, and this will give you just that."_

_"Really?" Regina laughed bitterly, glancing at herself in the reflected light on the nearest window. She was far from what anyone would call beautiful- both on the inside and outside now. "How exactly is it supposed to do that? Enlighten me."_

_With a Cheshire cat's grin, she said, "While you are beautiful in this form, only a worthy man will be able to see it. Only he will be able to break this curse with true love's kiss."_

_At her words, Regina doubled over laughing. "Now you really are joking. No one in their right mind is going to want to kiss this." She opened her mouth wide to prove her point. Fangs now protruded from gums that had once held normal-sized teeth, each a different size._

_But the fairy's hope couldn't be dashed. "He exists, I'm sure of it. I'm not putting a time limit on it, either, so you'll have all the time in the world. However, you won't be allowed to go far beyond the castle. In addition, to show you that your actions have consequences that affect others, the staff have been turned into enchanted objects."_

_"How on earth am I supposed to find this guy if I can't leave?" Regina demanded, disregarding the rest of her speech._

_"He'll come to you," the fairy predicted. "And in the meantime, you can see the outside world through this."_

_The next thing Regina knew, the mirror that had been offered to her as payment for shelter was being pressed into her hand- no, paw now. She took it reluctantly, wanting to have something that would help her see the outside world, but hating the fact that she was accepting anything from this fairy at all. _

_"Good luck," the fairy told her, and with that, she was gone, leaving Regina with new fur, fangs, and her misery._

By this time, the memories that had engulfed her had left Regina paralyzed. How could she even _think _of loving another child when Henry, the boy she had loved with her whole being, was gone? Not to mention his father- there was no way she could love in _that_ way again, especially not _him_ of all people, despite the looks she had seen Emma give them every now and then. She was completely alone in the world, the only person who could possibly understand what she was going through, and nothing and no one, especially not some thief, his son, or any of her servants, could change that.

In fact… Why didn't she just end it all now? she wondered. No more annoying thief, no more know-it-all cook who pretended to be her friend, no more memories of the most horrible days of her life, no more of the pitying glances she despised, and no more surprise parties when she just wanted to be left _alone_. No one would miss her. She'd just have the opportunity to be with her beloved Henry and Daniel again- forever this time.

She looked out over the balcony, considering. It would be so easy. Her room was on the highest floor, so all she would have to do is jump over the balcony…

As she stood on the balcony ledge and bent her knees to jump, she heard a voice behind her.

"Regina, stop!"

Despite her better judgement, she turned around. There was that thief again, telling her what she should do, how she should feel. She was done with all of it, and had no problem making him aware of that fact. "Leave me alone," she commanded. "The last thing I want is to talk to _you_ of all people."

"Regina, whatever thought or memory is darkening your mind right now happened in the past," he reminded her. "We're in your room at the castle now, not far from the room where Roland is sleeping soundly. Do you want to talk about what's troubling you?"

She remained silent, hoping that this time, he would eventually leave her alone. However, his stubbornness matched her own, so even though she said nothing, when she next looked where he had been standing, he was still there.

"What are you still doing here?" she demanded.

"Hoping you'll tell me what's troubling you," he said softly, and though he smiled, those dimples flashing at her, she wasn't going to fall for it.

"Why bother?" she bit back, her ire rising as she thought of what she had discovered not so long ago. "You already knew some of the truth of it before tonight, and yet you still kept that book that's full of lies."

"Only so I can show people that every single one of Heller's claims are false," he responded. "Each part of you is beautiful, despite what you- and others- might think." Though he seemed adamant, she still wasn't sure that she believed him.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" she asked, still skeptical. He did have the book, after all, so he had to own it for a reason.

"Follow me?" he asked, holding out his hand.

She nodded, her hands clasped behind her back.

He turned and led her to his room. Once they were there, he rummaged in his bag and extracted a guitar, journal, ink and quill.

"What's all this?" she inquired suspiciously, wondering what exactly he was planning.

Handing the writing materials to her, he explained, "These are for you, so you can tell your own story for a change. As for the guitar…" he trailed off. "I thought that playing and singing something to you might cheer you up. May I?"

Shocked by the magnitude of his kindness, Regina simply stared at him for a minute, mouth agape before she snapped it shut and nodded.

He promptly sat down on his bed and patted the space beside him. She shook her head, though, as she requested, "Later. It's my turn to show you something." Suddenly unsure of herself (he had never asked for this, after all, she clarified hesitantly, "if that's okay?"

"Of course," Robin assured her, standing with the guitar in his hand and gesturing with the other for her to proceed. "Lead the way."

They walked down several flights of steps, eventually coming to an area of the castle that had never fully recovered from the fire. Regina led him to a little hidden nook that she visited both as often and as infrequently as she could. While she regularly honored Daniel and Henry, she tried not to visit their resting place too often because it would bring memories to mind that were far too painful for her to bear. However, when those memories were already at the forefront of her thoughts, she always came here to honor them and talk to them.

Once they had arrived at their destination, she watched as Robin took in their surroundings. There were two graves here, marked with twin slabs of stone, one etched with Henry's name and the other with Daniel's. Above them was a torn picture of all five of them: Daniel, Henry and his parents, and Killian. The day she had become a beast, Regina had raced through the palace on all four paws and torn the picture to shreds except for their faces. At that point, they were objects, she didn't want any remnants of their human forms around to tempt her to feel guilty.

She saw Robin watching her out of the corner of her eye just as she conjured several flowers, red roses and pink and white carnations.

She placed the roses on Daniel's grave and the carnations on Henry's. She stood in silence with her head bowed, tears falling down her cheeks as she remembered the man and boy who had lost their lives far too soon. She was pleased when she saw out of the corner of her eye that Robin had followed her example, honoring the boy and man he had never met who would always have Regina's heart.

Still debating if she should share her thoughts from earlier that evening, the queen spoke, her voice shaking. "When you found me tonight, I had just relived my worst memories. One, of course, you know," she reminded him, hoping he would need no further details.

When he nodded, she continued, gesturing at her face- her hideous, scarred face covered in _fur _of all things. "The other was... the night I got all of… _this_. And even then, I didn't know it would hurt this much to remember them."

When she shrank away from him, instead of backing away as she expected (no one would want to have that aspect of her face be their main focus), he reached for her. "May I?"

Shuddering at the thought, she shook her head and offered her paw instead. There were still parts of her in both places that were human, but one felt less intimate than the other, and she just… needed something to hold on to.

He grasped both of her paws tightly in his. "No matter how you were given these features, you are beautiful, every single part of you. And I know I never met him, but I know that Daniel would say the same thing."

Looking at the inscriptions on the graves before, she asked, "Does it ever hurt even remotely this much for you? Remembering Roland's mother?"

Robin's heart ached at the reminder of some of the last moments he had had with Marian. As he shared those memories with Regina, he wondered for the millionth time how he had managed to have both the best and worst days of his life coincide on the same day…

_"Robin, come on," Marian insisted. "We need to make sure we have everything we need for when our child arrives. It can't be much longer now, you know that."_

_Robin gestured at the bookshop beside them. "I am getting something he or she needs: books. No education begins without books, after all, and I want our child to believe in happy endings and the power of good triumphing over evil."_

_All his wife did was sigh. "True… but we also need important things like clothes and a bottle and-"_

_"Fine, then you go get those things while I get books for him," Robin told her._

_He immediately knew from the look on his wife's face that he'd gone too far. "I wanted us to do it together. But fine, have it your way. If I'm going to be the responsible parent while you're the fun parent, then so be it."_

_With that, she stormed off._

Little had Robin known that twenty minutes later, the doors of the bookshop would open with a bang and his friend John would be bursting in to inform him that his wife had gone into labor. He still looked back on that conversation with Marian with regret, knowing now that he had lost her that day. He wished more than anything that he had apologized and gone with her instead of getting caught up in a petty argument, that he had spent those last moments happily choosing what baby Roland would wear once he was born. However, he couldn't change the past, only hope for the best in the future, a viewpoint he tried to share with Regina as he told his story.

All she did in response was shake her head. Clearly, she saw him as a hopeless case. "You and your hope speeches," she commented. "Don't you ever get tired of them?"

"For a time, I did," he admitted, remembering the dark period of his life just after his wife's passing. "But then my mother helped me see that I could find her in Roland." At the sour expression on her face at the mention of his mother, he added, "I know you two often don't see eye to eye on many concepts-"

"That's the understatement of the year," she muttered, likely remembering the woman who had started everything. As he had been reminded the night before, there was no love lost between them.

"-but she does have her good qualities. Thanks to her, I learned to find Marian in my son," he quickly added, hoping not to set her off.

"What am I supposed to do then?" she asked bitterly. "It's not like I can see Henry in Roland, other than their love of books."

"Try to find similarities between Henry and Roland, maybe?" he suggested. "While that may not be a permanent solution, it may help you heal."

She nodded slowly, then grinned mischievously. "And what about Daniel? Am I supposed to see him in you? Nice try, thief, but that's not going to happen."

He couldn't help laughing at her words. "No, milady, and I never expected you to. But I am willing to help you in his stead- not that you need it," he added hastily. "Just know that no matter what happens, I'm not going to leave you. You're never going to suffer by yourself again, I promise." He couldn't help his honesty in that moment. While he knew it wouldn't be wise to overwhelm her with his affection, he did want her to know that she wasn't alone.

The only response she offered to his declaration was a slow nod before she turned and asked, "Could I maybe hear you play that guitar now?"

"Of course," he replied before extracting his guitar from its case. He sang to her of rainbows and wishing on stars, then played her a song about how sometimes, there are hard days, but people can still hope that there are good days ahead.

As he sang, he could see her soaking in every word. Eventually, she closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder, which he took as a sign that from then on, she believed her life might change- which in truth was all he ever wanted for her.

Henry watched as Robin and Regina stood by his and Daniel's graves, smiling once Robin started playing guitar for Regina. It made him so happy to see Regina enjoy something and relax, and it was all because of Robin. It seemed like his and Roland's plans to make their parents fall in love wouldn't be so hard after all.

**This chapter contains the following prompts and trigger warnings: 88 (Regina suffers from PTSD and has an episode), 242 (love potion), 111 (OQ in a dangerous situation), 207 (either one of them saving their partner from a suicide attempt), 216 (body positivity), 214 (laying down a flower at a grave), 253 (I didn't know it would hurt this much), 222 (Robin shares a painful memory), 174 (I'm not going to leave you, you're never going to suffer by yourself again, I promise), 54 (Robin playing guitar for Regina). The songs used are "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and "Good Day" by Sean Maguire. Hope you enjoyed this, and let me know what you think!**


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